2023 Canada Day In Halifax: Fireworks, Celebrations and Long Weekend Events

Fireworks

Things to on Canada Day long weekend in and around Halifax

Celebrate Canada’s 156th birthday with fun events and activities. Here is a list of fireworks, Canada Day celebrations and weekend festivals taking place in Halifax Metro.

Information posted on the page was accurate at the time of posting. Do check official websites before planning your trip. The page will be updated with latest events closer to the July 1.

Explore Nova Scotia – Plan a Staycation

Fireworks on Canada Day Weekend

Kinsmen Park, Lower Sackville – June 30 | Dusk
DeWolf Park, Bedford – July 1 | 10:00 PM
Haifax-Dartmouth Waterfront – July 1 | 10:00 PM – 10:10 PM

KANA’TA: Canada Day 2023 Celebrations

Join us for KANA’TA: Canada Day 2023 celebrations on Saturday, July 1, 2023. This re-envisioned format for Canada Day offers a variety of new and refreshed cultural, musical, and family-oriented events to enjoy.

KANA’TA: Canada Day 2023 programming will include the Mawio’mi on the Halifax Waterfront, a Dartmouth Summer Sunshine Series free concert, a Multi-Stage experience on the Halifax Waterfront featuring multiple genres of music – and the day time and night time headliners will take to the SKY! for the first time ever the The Canadian Forces (CF) Snowbirds will host an Air Show at lunch time over the Halifax Harbour.

KANA’TA: Canada Day 2023 will partner with The Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and the Halifax Citadel National Historic site to offer free admission on Saturday, July 1.

Rain Date: 2nd July 2023 for Events at Halifax Waterfront and Dartmouth Summer Sunshine series free concert.

Details

‘CF18 Jet Simulator, Spitfire Airplane, DND Displays’

Enjoy taking photos sitting in a CF18 fighter jet simulator and beside a ¾ scale Spitfire aircraft. Other Dept Of National Defense displays also on site. All day at Sackville Landing.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 10:00 AM – 9:30 PM

SackVille Landing, Lower Water Street, Halifax

Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo bands performances

Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo bands performances on Canada Day.

July 1, 2023 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Halifax Waterfront, 1655 Lower Water Street, Halifax

Mawio’mi on the Halifax Waterfront

Let’s celebrate KANA’TA: Canada Day together with a traditional welcome and blessing from our Elders to start the day. After the exciting Snowbird Air show at noon, we kick off with Mi’kmaq inspired music from Morgan Toney, Joe Henry and more. Followed by a cultural demo: enjoy the rhythmic beats of indigenous drums that fill the air with energy and get inspired by traditional and contemporary Mi’kmaq Dancers.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 11:30 AM – 11:00 PM

Foundation Wharf, Lower Water Street, Halifax

Cultural Village

Join us for a vibrant celebration of Indigenous culture at the KANA’TA Cultural Village! Immerse yourself in the rich traditions, artistry, and heritage of our Indigenous communities as we gather to showcase the beauty and diversity of cultures across turtle island. Mi’kmaw Circle of Hope will demonstrate the ancient Mi’kmaq game of Waltes and vendors will be offering various forms of arts and crafts.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 11:30 AM – 3:30 PM

Foundation Wharf, Lower Water Street, Halifax

The Canadian Forces Snowbirds air show

The Snowbirds, 431 Air Demonstration Squadron are a Canadian icon comprised of Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) members and National Defense Public Service employees. Pilots, technicians (aviation, avionics, aircraft structure, supply), mobile support operators, resource management support clerks, an engineering officer, a logistics officer and a public affairs officer representing all three elements (Army, Navy and Air Force), work as a team to bring thrilling performances to the Canadian public. Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 12:00 PM – 12:30 PM

Halifax Harbour, Lower Water street, Halifax

Sands at Salter Main Stage + Licensed Area

Sounds of Kayo Guevarra to kickoff the festivities! Kayo born iN St Lucia and living in Halifax will bring us a sense of the Caribbean to kickoff the show! This is an all day/night dance space!
Following Kayo will be DJ Douvet who is the leader of the Rhythm & Colour movement showcasing the diverse talents of DJs across the country.
Then we turn to a leader in our 2SLGBTQ+ community, Dandi J! Dandi is known for providing safe enjoyable spaces in all the events they create! Expect to be on your feet start to finish when they hit the stage!

We take a break from the turntablists and TWIN FLAMES will take to the main stage for a beautiful showcase of Live Music. All the way from the West Coast this duo has taken over the airwaves at CBC and is a MUST SEE moment this year.
Closing out the Stage will be the LIGHTHOUSE Events team known for showcasing the best in electronic music. Capt’n of the ship Troy Power will curate a 2.5 hour set of high octane house music!

There is a 19+ zone in the sand at this stage! Bring your sandals or kick off your shoes and remember to drink responsibly.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 12:30 PM – 10:30 PM

Sands at Salter, 5057 Salter Street

Morgan Toney performance

Morgan Toney brings together the fiery fiddling of Cape Breton Island with the old songs of the Mi’kmaq People with brilliance and heart, one song dating back up to 500 years.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 12:30 PM – 1:30 PM

Foundation Wharf, Lower Water Street, Halifax

The 7th Annual Drumming Celebration

CDD has also broken the Guinness World Record of simultaneous drumming with 148 Canadian cities and 26 international cities in 13 countries. This year, we will keep joining the CDD national simultaneous drumming at 3pm AST on July 1st. The CDD Halifax committee will line up multicultural performances, including bands, dancing groups, talented individuals, and more from 12:30PM to 3PM for the public to enjoy Canada Day in Downtown Dartmouth. Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 1:00 PM – 4:00 PM
Drumming | 3:00 PM

Dartmouth Ferry Terminal Park, 88 Alderney Dr, Dartmouth

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Canada Day Family fun Top 40 with DJ M@gic Mic!

Come join DJ M@gic Mic for a collection of Top 40, RnB and Family tunes. Grab some ribs and come on down and bust a move before the ANSMA Concert!

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 4:15 PM – 5:15 PM

Dartmouth Ferry Terminal Park, 88 Alderney Dr, Dartmouth

ANSMA Canada Day Concert

Join us for a night celebrating some of the best African Nova Scotian artists this province has to offer! More information and line up to come!! Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 6:30 PM – 10:00 PM

Dartmouth Sunshine Series Stage – Dartmouth Ferry Terminal Park, 88 Alderney Drive, Dartmouth

Twin Flames Band Performance

Twin Flames build bridges across cultures, continents, and styles, and have been celebrated internationally. This, alongside their substantial body of work, create sonic soundscapes using Indigenous spirit flutes, traditional drums, and western instruments. They craft enticing musical arrangements, standout harmonies, and beautiful rhythmic patterns. The result is a warm, perfect blend of sounds. In addition, Twin Flames shares a genuine love for songwriting that stands out lyrically and melodically for the world to hear.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 8:00 PM – 8:45 PM

Sands at Salter, 5057 Salter Street

Canada Day Fireworks Supported by Canadian Heritage

The Canada Day Fireworks return for the first time since 2019 thanks to our partners at Canadian Heritage! Best views will be at The Halifax Waterfront Foundation Wharf stage and our Dartmouth Ferry Terminal Park stage. Catch live entertainment with a fireworks finale! Queens Marque area, Sands At Salter stage + most locations on the Dartmouth and Halifax waterfront will also be great viewign points.

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 10:00 PM – 10:10 PM

Haifax-Dartmouth Waterfront

The status of fireworks for events is subject to change. Notification of changes will be shared via the municipality’s Civic Events’ Facebook page and Twitter channel.

Bedford Days

Bedford Days is a 10-day festival that kicks off on National Indigenous People Day and wraps up on Canada Day. July 1st is a fun-filled day in DeWolf Park starting with free pancakes in the morning and ending with a celebration show in the evening. Details

Canada Day Fireworks | July 1 | 10:00 PM
Rain date: All Canada Day events Sunday, July 2nd

DeWolf Park, Bedford

Free admission

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II. Things to Do on Canada Day

Concert for Canada Day

Concert for Canada Day featuring The Chester Brass, George Morrison, conductor, with Jodie Alcorn-Miller, soprano, and Shawn Whynot, organ & piano. A Festive Evening of Canadian Music and much more. Olga Milosevich will be the Host and MC. Details

Friday, June 30, 2023 | 7:30 PM – 9:30 PM

Bethany United Church, 7171 Clinton Avenue, Halifax

$11.98 – $17.31

Canada Day at Halifax Citadel National Historic Site

Celebrate Canada’s 156th Birthday with FREE ADMISSION! Time your visit to include the iconic firing of the noon gun followed by a 21-gun salute at the front entrance saluting battery. Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM

Halifax Citadel National Historic Site, 5425 Sackville Street

Free admission

Canada Day at Pier 21

Jon us for the Celebration of Canada Day on our usual summer opening schedule of 9:30 am to 5:30 pm. Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Citizenship Ceremony (open to public): 10:00 am
Participatory Art: 10:00 am to 4:00 pm
Performances: 12:00 pm to 3:30 pm
Chalk Art in front of building: 10:00 am to 3:00 pm

Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21, 1055 Marginal Road, Halifax

Free admission

Dominion Day “Old Time” Village Fair

A festive day celebrating the coastal villages in the Lake Charlotte area and Memory Lane’s birthday. Enjoy a free freshly made donut from our vintage Belshaw Donut Robot, then explore the Village, filled with games and demonstrations. Check out the schedule below for the full list of activities. Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 9:30 AM – 4:00 PM

Memory Lane, 5435 Clam Harbour Road, Lake Charlotte

Free; Donations Appreciated

Flag Raising and 40th Anniversary of the Museum

Flag raising and 40th anniversary of the museum celebration on the museum grounds. Parking will be on Memory Lane. Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 11:00 AM – 11:30 AM

Fultz House Museum, 33 Sackville Drive, Lower Sackville

Free admission

Baked Beans and Brown Bread

Baked beans and brown bread located at the museum parking lot on Memory Lane. There will be picnic tables and benches on the grounds if you would like to eat your lunch there. Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM

Fultz House Museum, Memory Ln, Lower Sackville

$10

Canada Day Boat Party (19+)

Come and experience a day with the best Djs, views and vibes in 3 different locations. Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 4:00 PM – 3:30 AM

The Cable Wharf, 1751 Lower Water Street, Halifax

$25 – $75

III. Things to do During Canada Day Weekend

2023 Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo

We stir the heart and call you home. Come see Nova Scotia’s premier summer event from June 30-July 3 in the Scotiabank Centre. Details

June 30-July 3, 2023
July 1 | 10:30 AM – 11:30 AM

Scotiabank Centre, Halifax

$26 – $69

Halifax Wanderers

vs. Forge FC. Details

Friday, June 30, 2023 | 7:00 PM

Wanderer Grounds, 5819 Sackville St, Halifax

$16 – $69+

Harbourside Ribfest

The event will host five unique rib trucks, exciting local vendors and tens of thousands of satisfied visitors. Come get your ribs!! Details

June 30 – July 3, 2023
June 30 to July 2 | 11 AM – 10 PM
July 3 | 11 AM – 5 PM

Alderney Landing, 2 Ochterloney St, Dartmouth

Free admission

KinFest

Join the Kinsmen Club of Sackville for Canada day weekend family fun event. Details

Friday, June 30, 2023 | 6:00 PM – Dusk

Fireworks | Dusk

Kinsmen Park, 71 First Lake Drive, Lower Sackville

Free

Sackville Patriot Days

Sackville Patriot Days is a community, family-oriented celebration organized around Canada Day. Events on Canada Day include a Canada Day Parade down Sackville Drive, flag raising, a BBQ, baked beans drive through and teddy bears picnic on Canada Day. Details

Various venues, Sackville
Canada Day Parade starts from the Downsview Mall and wind its way down the Sackville Drive and disperse in the Rock Church parking lot

Most events are Free

Canada Day BBQ

Come down to enjoy a BBQ on July 1st at the Knox United Church. Details

Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Knox United Church, Sackville

Free

Halifax Mural Festival

The Halifax Mural Festival is a community-based art event, producing murals on Quinpool Road and throughout Halifax. Over the course of a week, both well-established and emerging artists will bring colour to iconic public spaces. Stay tuned for the announcement of the artist lineup and special events during the week-long festival! Details

July 3 – 9, 2023

Various locations, Halifax

Free

Sole Sisters & EPIC Canadian – Run for Canada

The Canada Day weekend will feature an exciting new combination celebrating Canada Day Weekend 2023: Sole Sisters and the EPIC Canadian together on the same weekend for the first time!

Join us here, or from anywhere across the country and beyond using the ‘Virtual’ event options. The 2023 Canada Day Weekend kicks off with Sole Sisters 5K at 6PM on Canada Day Eve, June 30th. The next morning, Canada Day July 1st, brings the Maple Leaf 10K at 8AM, followed by The Canadian 5K at 9:30AM. Then our youngest competitors race 1 or 3K with the Steele Subaru KIDS RUN DARTMOUTH at 11AM (registration will open closer to the event).

Complete all three distances over two days to be a finisher of the Mini-Moose Challenge! And of course we continue the same race format EPIC pioneered within Canada in 2014, the EPIC Double-In-A-Day: two distances, back-to-back, and the additional challenge of posting your best total time for the 15K distance as well. Details

Friday, June 30, 2023 | 6:00 PM | Sole Sisters 5K
Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 8:00 AM | Maple Leaf 10K
Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 9:30 AM | The Canadian 5K
Saturday, July 1, 2023 | 11:00 AM | Steele Subaru KIDS RUN DARTMOUTH

Shubie Park, Dartmouth

$25 – $113

IV. More Things to Do

Get Splashed

Ride and slide at Splash Adventure. Enjoy rides, slides, mini-golf, go-karts, batting cages, kids pool, carousel and more here. Details

Daily from June 30, 2023 | 10 AM – 6 PM

Atlantic Splash Adventure, 1200 Lucasville Rd, Lucasville

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Plan a Daytrip

Explore the great outdoors and take in the amazing views of this beautiful province. Try a staycation in Nova Scotia this year and explore HRM’s best waterways by paddling.

Discover St. Margaret’s Bay

Located just a few minutes drive from Halifax, St. Margaret’s Bay is home to the Village of Peggy’s Cove, the Peggy’s Cove Lighthouse, Peggy’s Cove Preservation Area, the SS Atlantic Heritage Park, and the impressive Hooked Rug Museum of North America in Queensland. Details

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Revealing Chignecto: The Stories Within

In Revealing Chignecto, visitors can explore life in Chignecto’s shared Mi’kmaw and Acadian space up to the late 18^th century through oral history, archaeology, and written records. Illustrated with beautiful original artworks by Réjean Roy, this exhibit invites visitors to handle high-quality reproductions of archaeological artifacts, listen to oral histories in Mi’kmaw with interpretive text and illustrations to guide them, and explore interactive maps that show changes in the region over time. Details

Daily, May 13 to July 23, 2023 | 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM
Open Canada Day

1055 Marginal Road, Halifax

$10.25 – $15.50; Children 5 & under Free

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Indigenous Ingenuity

Indigenous peoples from North America have long demonstrated a great sense of ingenuity, using nature as inspiration. The world we know today is influenced by their innovations and scientific knowledge. The exhibition invites visitors to experience the innovative processes that give rise to Indigenous knowledge by observing, listening, experimenting, and sharing. Details

Wednesday – Sunday | 9 AM – 4 PM

Discovery Centre, 1215 Lower Water Street, Halifax

Regular admission $12 – $15; 2 and under Free

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Hike the Shaw Wilderness Park

Shaw Wilderness Park is a wilderness park with trails that crisscross the park. All the trails are not mapped, do take along a map and a compass as you set out on an adventure!

For more trails to hike, see our article,

Have a Picnic

With many beautiful places to choose from, there is no dearth of places to enjoy a lovely picnic with friends or family! So why not pack a picnic basket or grab some treats from your local restaurant, bakery and brewery and set out!

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Stroll the Halifax Public Gardens

This exotic garden is built in the style of a Victorian Garden. See the floral displays, stroll along the path, and enjoy this beautiful piece of natural oasis. Details

Daily | 8 AM to 1/2 hour before Sunset

5665 Spring Garden Road, Halifax

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Camp Outside

Located just minutes from downtown Halifax is Laurie Provincial Park. Enjoy the lake by going for a swim, or go on a fun water adventure by paddling or water skiing around the lake. Set up camp at one of the wooded sites in the park and spend a relaxing night under the stars. Details

Laurie Provincial Park, 4949 Nova Scotia Trunk 2, Grand Lake

Regular admission

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Enjoy Glow-in-the-Dark Fun

Enjoy holes of glow-in-the-dark fun at the Putting Edge’s unique glow-in-the-dark golf course. They also feature a glow-in-the-dark arcade. Details

Putting Edge, 182 Chain Lake Drive, Halifax

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Weekend Family Round-Up

Bring out the family for a fun filled day at the farm! Enjoy horse drawn wagon ride, All-You-Can-Eat Hot Dogs, unlimited drinks, mini-golf, Rubber Rodeo, zip lines, petting pens & playgrounds! Details

July 1 – 2, 2023 | 11:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Hatfield Farm, 1840 Hammonds Plains Road, Hammonds Plains

$0 – $27.99

Explore Nova Scotia – Plan a Staycation