Cumberland Empire Days Parade & Crowning of the May Queen

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Monday, May 23rd, 2011
Parade Registration 7:30am Parade Begins 10:00am Crowning of May Queen after Parade in Village Park

Cumberlands First Heritage Celebration of Queen Victoria's May 24th birthday was held in May 1988. In 2011 the community will celebrate 123 years of May Day Celebrations in Cumberland.

From its beginning the main focus for this event has been celebration of Cumberland's Cultural Diversity. Cumberland's working mining town history is one built on immigration. Encircling downtown Cumberland are town sites of Chinese, Japanese and African American immigrant workers. Additionally, large populations of Italians, English, Scots, Welsh each bringing their own culture to Cumberland. These people came to Cumberland to work in the mines.

Each year Cumberlands Empire Events Society holds a week of events leading up to the long weekend in May. This year Empire Days will celebrate with music, song, dance and ceremony. Each year they choose a theme and this year it is "Love those Loggers"

The logging industry started in the 1800's just after mining started. They needed wood for shoring up the walls of mines and the buildings that supported the mining industry. They also required wood to build the miners homes and commercial buildings along Dunsmuir Ave. Many men came to work for logging companies, some men preffered this to going underground in the mines.

Honorary Parade Marshall's are Darren Robertson and Jack Hilton (retired) they are representing the Forest Industry.

The Crowning of the May Queen Nicole Ross from Retiring May Queen Janessa MacIntrye.
Attendees: Sloan Hofmann & Maddy Barry
Page Boys: Liam Easterbrook & Brodie Robertson
Flower Girl: Loralie Bell

In the park following the ceremonies there will be Childrens Races, Craft Booths, Food Vendors and much more.

The Cumberland Empire Events Society would like to thank everyone who has helped us this year. We could not organize this celebration without the help of the Village of Cumberland and the many volunteers that it takes. We thank all the groups and buisness' who joined us in making this tradition a reality each year.