The PARA Waterfront Festival is produced by PARA Marine Search and Rescue (PARA). The PARA Waterfront Festival is an annual summer event at Millennium Square providing nautical programming, artisan and consumer goods booths and entertainment, the Festival will provide both on-land and on-water programming for people of all ages and interests with the goal of promoting PARA Marine Search and Rescue and celebrating over 50 years of service to the Region of Durham and the City of Pickering. 

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    PARA, the Event Manager and beneficiary, is a Community based charitable organization and founding member of the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary. PARA currently patrols Lake Ontario between the Rouge River and Whitby Harbour an area that includes approximately 25km of coastline and 180 square nautical miles of Lake Ontario. Within this area there are 6 public access beaches, 6 Marinas/Yacht Clubs all accessible to approximately 350,000 inhabitants. In 2018, PARA Crews volunteered over 7700 hours of their time within the Community, consisting of 4400 hours were dedicated to 27 SAR Missions and regular patrols, 1700 hours to training and 1250 hours to Community events and education, with the remaining hours dedicated to maintenance and administration.

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    The objective of the PARA Waterfront Festival is to produce an exceptional annual festival that provides a strong economic impact for PARA while building strategic partnerships with significant stakeholders including The City of Pickering, the Pickering Nautical Village Association and other Corporate benefactors.The festival will be located in Millennium Square bringing together a carefully curated mix of artisans, crafters, and other vendors at a unique, open-air market on Pickering’s Waterfront!