Troy Shantz
Captain Kidd is returning to Corunna but he’ll be dropping anchor at a new location this year.
The 36th annual event will run July 30 to Aug. 1 at the patio and parking lot of Bad Dog restaurant, 368 Lyndoch St.
“The appetite of the general public for a virtual event is waning, and I think people are itching for something that resembles normal,” said event chair Geoff Dale.
After hosting a successful outdoor Canada Day party the restaurant offer up its outdoor space. It was a perfect solution, Dale said, because fluctuating COVID-19 rules made approval for the municipal park uncertain.
Tickets for nightly live music shows are $60 for a table of six.
Full Disclosure plays Friday, the Downriver Band on Saturday, and Town Hall Revival on Sunday. Organizers hope to fit up to 200 people.
“That’s a fraction of what we normally do, but the best we can do,” said Dale.
“We generally average about 1,000 people at our night time events, and 5,000 people for the park on the weekend. We couldn’t socially distance that many people.”
Contests running each day are free, and Captain Kidd himself will again crown the top ambassador and best-dressed pirate.
Three virtual scavenger hunts are being organized for the weekend. Using a smartphone app, participants will follow clues taking them to various sponsor locations.
Nightly draws are also planned, Dale added.
Plans for a movie night at the Corunna Legion on Wednesday were still in the works.
Last year’s Captain Kidd Days was both virtual and successful, with about $18,000 raised for local sports teams.
Normally, the festival features a parade, street hockey, volleyball and two-pitch tournaments, big crowds and a field full of inflatables, Dale said.
Though this year’s event is scaled down the money raised will support a rebuild of Corunna’s skatepark, he said.
For more, visit https://www.facebook.com/Captain-Kidd-Days-219580524738662/ Tickets are also available at Bad Dog Corunna.