The Gold Cup and Saucer Parade has a special meaning after a two year COVID-19 gap.
Celebrating its 60th anniversary, parade Grand Marshall Ray Murphy says the rich history of the event keeps him coming back every year.
Few people love a parade more than Murphy.
“It doesn’t get any better, and it’s here on little ol’ P.E.I.,” Murphy said in an interview with CTV Atlantic.
Murphy, now in his 70s, was the parade organizer for over a decade. He says the community is what has drawn him in.
“There’s more to life than work. Life’s about people and community,” he explained.
The largest in Atlantic Canada, the Gold Cup and Saucer Parade has become an institution where town and country meet.
While taste and the times have seen some elements come and go, there are staples that have remained.
Even a day before the event, the last of the work was being done on a float to commemorate the parade’s history.
"We can't forget this. It's 60 years and it's going to keep going and keep growing,” he said. “That's why this year's theme is ‘Celebrating the Gold Cup and Saucer.’ We're celebrating the past, present and tomorrow."
The parade is the lead-up to the biggest horse race of the season. But over the decades, it’s come to symbolize something more.
"People say it marks the end of summer -- I don't believe that,” says Charlotte Nicholson, Gold Cup Parade organizer. “But it's kind of one of those things that needs to happen every year and people really missed it, so to be celebrating the comeback of the parade and also our anniversary makes it really great."
Murphy says he agrees.
"That's why I've stuck around for 12 years,” he said. “I'm the oldest one in the crowd. We've got these young people, they're full of energy, they're full of ideas. They're full of enthusiasm. It doesn't get any better. It's all fun."
With files from Todd Battis.
