Strathroy-Caradoc will showcase Canada's favourite game this weekend during its Hometown Hockey celebration.
It's the fifth of 25 stops on a six-month tour, which showcases the hockey history of Canadian communities.
The free festival features live entertainment, NHL alumni, and hockey-themed activities, culminating on Sunday night with an outdoor NHL viewing party hosted by Ron MacLean and Tara Slone featuring the Calgary Flames and Washington Capitals -- Slone will also drop the puck at the Strathroy Rockets game on Saturday night.
Recreation Supervisor and Community Liaison Paul Lattimore said the festivities get going Saturday at noon.
"We've got some games and activities, we got the Scoitabank Ball Hockey Rink, we've got NHL alumni Brian Campbell and Mike Stapleton in town to sign autographs, we got the Sportsnet Playmobile Tent and they're doing the hardest shot, all sorts of things going on."
Lattimore said with a population of roughly 20,000, Strathroy is second smallest community on the tour, but he said they're confident they can hang with the big boys.
Lattimore said it's the perfect event to showcase the area.
"That's what really excites us is, you know, we're a hockey town and we're proud to show our spirit, and we really want to show what a great place Strathroy-Caradoc is and what better place than our downtown to showcase," he said. "The support has been fantastic from the community, from homeowners decorating their house to the businesses, especially downtown, dressing up their storefronts. It's been great."
Hometown Hockey began in October 2014, with the first event hosted in London. Since then the festival has made stops all across Canada, including Sarnia, LaSalle and Chatham.
For more information and a full list of events, click here.
https://www.facebook.com/strathroycaradoc/photos/pcb.2797004340332674/2796995610333547/?type=3&theater