In Canada, we celebrate Victoria Day aka the Queen’s birthday on the third Monday in May, turning it into a long weekend. This year it’s May 18, 2020.
This weekend!
Yay!
In 2020, too many of us became unemployed due to businesses shutting down from the Coronavirus. In British Columbia, about 10% of the population has become unemployed since March and about 13% of Canadians are unemployed. These numbers may change over the coming months as businesses reopen and people go back to work.
In the meantime, those of us who are unemployed are not noticing a big difference if it’s a statutory holiday coming up giving us a long weekend. Right now life is just one big long weekend.
In the United States, they have a stat holiday the following weekend called Memorial Day. This year it falls on May 25, 2020.
CLOVERDALE RODEO
I’m giving a shut out to what is the big event in Cloverdale, the small part of Surrey, BC that I’ve called home most of my life. On the long weekend in May, Cloverdale hosts a rodeo.
Well whoop dee doo I’m sure many of you are saying.
Cloverdale got knocked off the pro rodeo circuit years ago when the decision was made to eliminate some rodeo events. No calf tying here! The Cloverdale Rodeo is now an invitational event. Participants earn prize money, but they don’t earn “points” that are accumulated towards getting into the rodeo finals held in Las Vegas in December.
This year was to be a milestone in Cloverdale – the 75th rodeo anniversary. It all began in 1945.
Like many other events expecting over 50 people, the Cloverdale Rodeo was cancelled due to Covid-19.
In addition to the rodeo, the fairgrounds sets up midway rides, games of chance, petting zoo, trade fair, and entertainers. In the days leading up to the rodeo and country fair, there are various events around Cloverdale, notably a chili bake off, bed races, and a parade.
Let’s not forget all the pancake breakfasts!
All cancelled for 2020.
WHAT TO DO ON A STAT WEEKEND DURING THE PANDEMIC?
Depending on where you live, and whether or not you’re sick, you may or may not be allowed to move around. Travel is still discouraged. Many hotels are closed. I can’t imagine hotels would stay open right now due to lack of guests. People have cabins/cottages and friends and relatives in other cities, so some people are traveling.
In British Columbia, the health authorities and government officials are asking people not to travel this holiday weekend. Stay close to home. No gatherings of large groups. Meeting up with people outside is preferable to inside parties. Keep your distance.
This year’s post on what to do on a stat weekend, is a little different from a previous post, 7 Wonderful things to do on a Stat Holiday. I’ve come up with 11 fun things to do on a stat holiday weekend during the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of these suggestions are low cost type of fun.
Sad to say, we might be looking at this same list on July 1 (Canada Day), July 4, and the Labor Day weekend in September.
1. TURN A ROOM INTO A VACATION GETAWAY
Redecorate a room into a place you want to visit. For example – Hawaii. Print pictures off the Internet or if you’ve already been there, print some old vacation photos to put on the wall. Go to a discount store and pick up decorations. Look for a scent, a candle or air freshener, that reminds you of Hawaii. While you’re at the store, look for tropical themed glasses and dishware. They’ll be perfect for the vacation themed menu you’ll be creating for dinner.
2. WATCH TWO MOVIES BACK TO BACK
When it comes to watching two movies back to back, stay in the theme of your vacation getaway room.
Let’s stick with Hawaii. Perhaps the movies you’ll choose are Blue Hawaii and The Descendants.
Or maybe binge watch Hawaii Five-0!
3. PLAN YOUR NEXT VACATION
Now that you’re in a vacation mood, why not plan your next getaway when it’s safe to travel again? Start researching where you’ll stay, restaurants to eat at, and attractions to visit because it’s fun to dream about the vacation you hope to have.
As for me, will I be going to Hawaii next? Peru? Hmm, I have two big dogs to think about, so that means another road trip. I’ll probably checking out a different part of dog-friendly Oregon and maybe stop at some oddball attractions in Washington. There’s a gas station shaped like a teapot in Zillah that looks like a good Kodak moment.
I can’t forget the Appaloosa Museum in Idaho. That could go be worthy of a side trip! Sure, that’s only three hours out of my way!
4. HAVE A TAILGATE PARTY
Choose a regional park that has a lot of parking spots and not many patrons. Or the parking lot of a closed business like a casino. Contact a small group of friends and park your cars leaving one parking stall empty between vehicles and park some across the lane so you’re facing each other.
This works best if you have a truck or a hatchback you can pop. Otherwise bring a folding chair.
Decide whether you’re going to do potluck or if everyone is going to bring their own food and drinks. Great way to hang out for a couple of hours catching up.
Make sure you’re following your region’s guidelines on how many people are allowed to gather.
5. DISCOVER A NEW PLACE
Is there a beach or park you’ve heard about, but just haven’t got around to checking it out? If it’s open, head out and enjoy the fresh air.
Did you know that a section of Redwood Park in Surrey, BC has fairy houses?
6. NEW FOOD EXPERIENCE
Try a new restaurant for take out. Restaurants are hurting right now. If you’re fortunate enough to still be working during this pandemic, why don’t you help out a local business and grab some food to go from a new-to-you place. If you haven’t tried a mango slushee bubble tea yet – I recommend it!
7. GET MUSICAL
Do you play a musical instrument that’s portable like a guitar or clarinet? Set up in front of your house if it won’t bother your neighbors. Most people don’t want to hear bagpipes before noon! Or anytime! Consider setting up on the lawn of a senior’s home so the residents can listen at their windows or balconies. You get to practice your music and make others happy at the same time. It doesn’t matter how good you are, unless you’re on those bagpipes. You’re giving people a different experience from their daily routine.
8. TAKE IN A BROADWAY SHOW!
Have you subscribed to YouTube’s The Shows Must Go On that are featuring a lot of Andrew Lloyd Weber’s productions?
I’m still ticked off I missed Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Not that I give a rat’s fat ass about the show – but well – Donny Osmond! Ha ha!
The current production starts Friday around noon and is available to view for 48 hours. If you subscribe, YouTube emails a notification when it’s ready to watch.
I managed to catch Phantom of the Opera and the sequel Love Never Dies. This weekend, the stat weekend in Canada, you can watch Cats.
The other shows haven’t grabbed my attention long enough to keep watching. But then, Donny Osmond wasn’t in any of them!
9. GO CAMPING
A lot of campgrounds are closed right now, so how you camp might depend on where you live. My landlords have a camper and take their granddaughters camping without leaving the property. If you have a tent and a backyard – there you go! If you live in an apartment you can create a tent with chairs, a table, and sheets and blankets. Or if your space is really small, just sleep on the floor and hang a blanket from the ceiling as a pretend tent.
Make popcorn, eat marshmallows, and watch a scary movie.
This isn’t just a kid thing for families. Whether you’re a couple or an older single, try relocating out of your bedroom if it’s comfortable to do so.
I’d consider camping on my couch, but it’s kind of lumpy…
Set up my sleeping bag on the floor? Hmmm…
10. FIND A FREEBIE STREAMING OFFER
Get a free trial of a streaming service and binge watch as much as you can before it expires.
11. GET CACHING
Try geocaching! You can download the app for free on your smartphone, or if you have a handheld GPS, you can grab the coordinates off geocaching.com. Geocaching is a great way to get outside and enjoy fresh air and discover new places. All in the quest of searching for hidden treasures!
How will you be spending your next stat holiday?
This post was originally published on May 12, 2020 and updated on February 13, 2021.
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