Caledon Day returning to Caledon East this year

Canadian rock band The Sheepdogs to headline event

By Zachary Roman

After cancellations due to the pandemic, and then a changed location and date, Caledon Day is returning to its usual time and place this year.

This Father's Day weekend, on June 17, Caledon Day will take place at the Caledon East Community Complex. 

Caledon Day began back in 2008, and over the years the musical headliner has always been a major draw to the event. In 2023, Juno Award-winning rock band The Sheepdogs will be headlining Caledon Day, bringing their classic rock-influenced music to Town.

Caledon Day this year is going to feature a beer and cider tent, great food, fireworks, and, of course, arts, crafts and games for kids and their families.

The Town of Caledon will be announcing more about the event as it draws nearer.

In a media release announcing the event, Mayor Annette Groves said the Town is excited to bring Caledon Day back to its usual time and location.

“I encourage everyone to save the date and come on out for this fun, family-friendly celebration,” said Groves.

The Town of Caledon is looking for parties interested in sponsoring this year's Caledon Day, and those interested can visit the Town's website. Vendors will be welcomed too, though applications are not yet open.

Town of Caledon staff recommended the move back to the Caledon East Community Complex at Council's December 6, 2022 meeting. A report with the recommendation was submitted by Jessica Stovin, Caledon's Manager of Community Recreation.

It was approved on consent at the December 6 meeting and received final approval at the Town's December 13 Council meeting.

Stovin's report noted Caledon Day's biggest draw is the musical headliner, who is often a Canadian rock legend. The report said Town staff would like to leverage the return to Caledon East to explore a higher-calibre of Canadian headliners, and the plan has worked — The Sheepdogs were the first unsigned band to ever make the cover of Rolling Stone magazine and are one of Canada's most successful bands. They have nearly 400,000 monthly listeners on the music-streaming platform Spotify.

Caledon Community Services (CCS) will once again be hosting their annual cycling fundraiser, Velocity, in conjunction with Caledon Day on June 17. The ride will start from Town Hall that day, and its goal is to raise money for Caledon Seniors so they can enjoy a fulfilling and engaged lifestyle.

Early bird registration is already open for the event, and teams and individuals interested in signing up to fundraise can already do so.

Last year, Velocity was a great success as cyclists participating in the event surpassed CCS' fundraising goal of $50,000, raising almost $58,000. Riders of all ages and skill levels participated in the event, and chose from routes of 10, 25, 50, or 100 kilometres in length.