26th annual Massed Band event draws largest crowd ever

Perfect weather, combined with good food and great music, drew the largest crowd ever to the 26th annual Massed Band event, held in Victoria Park, Kincardine, Saturday afternoon.

The park was bursting with people, enjoying a wonderful concert, featuring the Kincardine Community Concert Band, the Toronto All-Star Big Band, the Goderich Celtic Blue Highlanders, Teeswater Highlanders, Sarnia Legion Pipe Band, Forest Legion Pipe Band, Cambridge and District Pipe Band, Ontario Fire Services Pipe Band, Wiarton McLaren Pipe Band, and the Eliza Jane Ceilidh Band.



The Goderich Celtic Blue Highlanders perform at the Massed Band event in Kincardine

Organizer Norm Annetts said there were thousands of people in the park, and thanks to the hard work of the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band and a great group of volunteers, there were 4,000 hot dogs and 3,000 cobs of corn served.

"It was a tremendous success," said Annetts who has been the lead organizer for the event since it began 26 years ago. "It is so rewarding to see the huge crowd enjoying the music and the food. This year, we had terrific weather - it was sunny but not too hot; and we promoted the event through the Internet and social media and I think we reached people who had never been here before."

Following the afternoon of entertainment, the visiting bands formed up along Durham Market North, beside Victoria Park, to join the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band in a Massed Band Parade through downtown Kincardine to Quinn Plaza, and then back to the park for a concert.

A mammoth crowd lined Queen Street as about 250 pipers and drummers marched down the street - the largest parade in recent years - with thousands of people gathering to march behind the band.



About 250 pipers and drummers join in the Massed Band Parade through downtown Kincardine, Saturday night