The City of New Westminster's 143rd Annual May Day celebration

After our lovely weather earlier this month, it was with great sadness that we watched the torrential rains come back just in time for May Day. In our city May Day has been a tradition for 143 years, my sons both participated all through their school years, from Royal Dancer to playing in the band for the ceremonies later in high school and everything in between! Today my granddaughter danced the folk dances in May Day as she is now in third grade. My friend Loretta and I were glad to see that although the skies were grey and threatening, it wasn't pouring so we went to Queens Park to watch May Day.. (If you click on the photos they will enlarge)

The May Day Programs are colored by several of the local elementary school and handed out on May Day.  All of the children in the city in elementary and middle school arrive at the park either on buses or on foot if their school is nearby. The high school band students also attend and provide the music for the event.

 This is the march into the stadium of the 2013 May Queen Suite and the retiring 2012 May Queen Suite.

 Here the May Queen Suite is joined by the Royal Dancers. The Royal Dancers are the first grade class of the school that wins the draw to have the May Queen. When my youngest son was in first grade, their school won the draw for May Queen and he was a Royal Dancer...their school which is the same school my grandkids now attend, has never won the draw since then!

The is the Mayor of New Westminster giving the address of welcome and introducing the outgoing May Day Suite.

 These are the photos of the field where the fourth grade children from all the schools in the city dance around the May Poles. Loretta counted 23 poles and there still wasn't enough, half way through the schools with larger populations traded out spots with the first sets of children.

 My grandaughter Dakotah waiting for their turn to dance. Third grade dances folk dances.

Mackenzie and Summer led the third graders from our school onto the field to folk dance.

After May Day Loretta and I went to IHOP for lunch, it was a lovely end to the day and it didn't rain!!!