The clouds parted like curtains at a theatre and North Bay was treated to quite a performance. Whether craning their necks skyward or bobbing their heads along to the music, there was something for everyone in Saturday night's lineup.
Outdoor events involving weather and flight are tenuous at best, but organizers rallied North Bayites to show up, rain or shine, at the waterfront to take in what was a breathtaking display by the SkyHawks parachute team and the Canadian Forces Snowbirds.
The good vibes from the aerial displays and clearing skies continued on to the concert venue where families and people of all ages sat in lawn chairs, or the unprepared, on the wet grass, courtesy of the afternoon's rain.
Hidden Roots Collective took to the stage, but a short time later, a power outage occurred. The group gamely continued on acoustically. The issues were resolved in time for performances by local talent Cory Marquardt and the event's headliners, Lighthouse. The high-octane band powered through a two-hour set, playing all their hits and delighting the large crowd.
A severe thunderstorm watch that eventually passed gave organizers some concern earlier in the day. Mayor Al McDonald and members of Council took to social media to encourage people to head down for the celebration and continued to post updates leading up to the opening ceremonies.
The twilight afterburner show was also ruled out after mechanical problems. In a post from the CF-18 Demo Team's Facebook page, it was announced that they would not be flying over Lake Nipissing on Saturday evening:
"Unfortunately, we will not be performing tonight in North Bay. The jet will be returning to Bagotville in order to undergo required maintenance.
"Thank you 22 Wing and The City of North Bay for an amazing weekend! Looks like the weather's clearing for a great show with CF Snowbirds and The SkyHawks tonight. Head down to the waterfront to check them out!"
Check out our gallery above for photos of the Lead Up to Canada 150 celebration.
