'Devon Days' festivities return for another year

DEVON -- It's expected to be a jam-packed weekend for this year's Devon Days festivities. 

The annual event, powered by community spirit and volunteers, will once again be home to various events and celebrations over the next several days. Devon Days officially got underway on Wednesday night with the BBQ Kick-off, while Thursday is slated to include a Comedy Night at the Devon Community Centre. Suzanne Houlton with the Devon Exhibition Association says the festivities will then begin to ramp up on Friday afternoon.

"The midway begins, beer gardens, legion -- we've also got the Strong Man Competitions that run Saturday through Sunday," said Houlton. "It's one of the only things we do consistently, year after year, it's totally volunteer-run. It really is a big event for everybody to get together and celebrate." 

For Friday, the midway will get underway starting at 3:00 p.m., followed by the Main Street Market at 4:00 p.m. The Beer Gardens will begin at 5:00 p.m., along with "Devon's Got Taste", which will feature more than twenty local food truck vendors. Saturday will kick off with the Devon Firefighters Annual Charity Breakfast from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m., followed by the annual parade at 10:00 a.m.

This year's Devon Days Parade will begin at John Maland High School and go straight to the Legion on Athabasca Avenue. For those who are registered in the parade, the lineup will start at 9:00 a.m. at 13 Saskatchewan Avenue. Following the parade, the Town of Devon will hold its Time Capsule Celebration next to the Devon Eye Clinic. 

Houlton says that each year, their efforts contribute significantly to many local charities and benefit the entire town of Devon. She says they believe strongly in strengthening the community, fostering local engagement, and making a positive impact.

"Any money that we make goes back into Devon Days, or if we do have an excess, then we try to give back directly to the local schools, charities, brownies' organizations, school bands, and others," said Houlton.

To learn more about this year's Devon Days, including the full weekend schedule, you can head to https://www.devondays.ca/