The second annual Tecumseh Skate Jam is taking over Tecumseh Park in Sarnia on July 20 beginning at noon and running until 7p.m.
“It's a local community event with lots of shops, food and good music. There’s entertainment just by watching the skateboarders and maybe you can even learn something,” said Kyle McDougall, one of the event organizers.
Growing up in Sarnia, McDougall said he spent a lot of time around skate parks and dirt jumps. “The parks used to be really busy when I was growing up, but now they're not too busy,” he explained. “I just wanted to get the community together and try and motivate kids to get out and enjoy the new park and just go outside and make friends,” said McDougall.
The event will be spread throughout the park with food vendors, local shops including a vintage pop-up by Mitton Market and live bands. Tecumseh Park Pool will also be open for community use.
“We’ve got Greens, Giresi’s Pizza [Factory], Blackwater Coffee, Kombucha Hound, and Maud’s Variety is doing a pop up tent, too and I think there's possibly more.”
Three bands are also lined up to rock the park for the free, all ages event that is open to the entire community.
“Thunder Queens is a pretty good band that's playing and Bar Down is a popular band in town. Hartlet is also awesome, they're from London, they're really good. They played last year too,” said McDougall.
The Skate Jam will also host a few skateboard competitions throughout the day and organizers say they are hopeful up to 40 young skateboarders will participate.
“We're getting shirts made… and “any profits off of the shirts go directly to the Weir Active Foundation, so it helps kids get to play sports” explained McDougall.
McDougall says that along with himself, a small group consisting of Billy Jean, Kyle Buckle and Cam Starr volunteer their time to make this event possible within the community. “We all just kind of work together and anybody that has ideas, they speak up,” he said.
“I hope a lot of people come out and enjoy the skate park and enjoy a nice Saturday. There’s gonna be so much to do for everybody!”