Several events, a few road closures this weekend

CITYnews halifax \ By Steve Gow

With the upcoming Natal Day long weekend, there are a number of events taking place throughout Halifax and Dartmouth, and with it a number of closures and traffic delays expected.

It will be feet, instead of tires, taking over the iconic Macdonald Bridge this Sunday as Halifax Harbour Bridges launches its latest MACPASS Miles road race and Bridgewalk.

The one-mile race across the span features several categories of races happening from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m., while Bridgewalk allows people to cross the Macdonald’s span leisurely to enjoy the views, listen to music and take part in some other events.

“Last year, most of the activity was focused on the Dartmouth side and we will have a small opening ceremony at 2 p.m. on the Dartmouth side,” says Halifax Harbour Bridges spokesperson Steven Proctor. “But there are activities all across the bridge.”

As a result of the events, the Macdonald Bridge will be closed to vehicles from 7 a.m. Sunday to around 5 p.m.

Meanwhile, MACPASS Miles and Bridgewalk are just a couple of the many events happening around HRM, with Natal Day events spread around the city.

Natal Day Road Race:

On Monday, the annual Natal Day Road Race race will force a few traffic closures in Dartmouth.

Racers set out at Christ Church before heading northeast on Ochterloney Street and Crichton Avenue with the course also impacting Hawthorne Street, Portland Street and Alderney Drive.

The municipality says the race is between 8:15 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.

Natal Day Parade:

Beginning at 10 a.m. Monday, the Natal Day Parade will commence along Novalea and Gottingen before crossing the Macdonald Bridge.

That is expected to impact several roads in downtown Dartmouth until the parade finishes up around noon near Sullivans Pond.

Fireworks Displays:

A big part of Natal Day is the annual fireworks display and the municipality has two to choose from.

On Saturday at 10 p.m., the first round will take place over the Halifax Harbour, a display that will be seen no matter which waterfront you are on.

Then, on Monday, the 126th Lake Banook Fireworks Show will commence at 9:30 p.m. in Dartmouth.

According to the Natal Day website, Prince Albert Road will be closed to traffic from 8:30 p.m. until 10 p.m.

For more information on closures and events during Natal Day long weekend, visit the website.