THUNDER BAY — After two years of construction in Thunder Bay’s downtown north core, community members and local organizations celebrated the newly redesigned streetscape with a retro celebration.
On Thursday, community members flocked to Red River Road for Harbourfest, returning for the first time since the 1990s.
“I didn't expect this, a large group of people, this is wonderful,” said Vian Stetch, owner and operator of Arabella Middle Eastern Dance Academy (AMEDA).
Stetch said the local organization was thrilled to take part in the event, noting its commitment to supporting the Thunder Bay community.
“We go down to the Marina all the time just to have practices and encourage people to come and dance with us, so we thought this would be a fantastic event.
So, we're very happy and excited to be part of it,” she said.
According to Stetch, the evening's biggest thrill was seeing the size of the crowd.
“It's good to see everybody coming out in the city, sometimes you have events and you don't have a lot of people, and this is fantastic,” she said.
With the traditional Middle Eastern dance complete, Stetch joined the crowd to enjoy the festivities.
“We are done here, and we are going to be going around seeing what is going on and whatnot,” she said.
From a dog contest to a fashion show, Harbourfest brought more than 40 vendors, games, and competitions to Red River Road on Thursday Night.
“I was really excited about it, events like this in general are always a super fun time, and I always come down for them,” said Jenna Fenwick, a dog parent attending the event.
“Lea Bean is our little girl, she's 16, and she is in for best dressed,” Fenwick said.
Sporting an extra small dog dress, Lea Bean and her furry sibling were ready to take the stage, she said.
“She's really old, so she's got those droopy eyes, and then Cashew's in for best dressed,” she said.
Fenwick said the opportunity to bring her dog made the festival a must on her calendar.
“I think it's super fun, the dog contest in particular is a really, really cool idea,” she said.
“I love bringing my dogs out because I love it when I see people like look at them and wave at them,” she said.
Excited for the night ahead, Fenwick said the festivities fill the downtown core with joy.
“It's really cool,” she said. “I look around and all I see are smiles.”
