A harvest moon, a big yellow taxi and a snowbird are among the iconic images found in a roster of songs celebrating the true north strong and free this coming Canada Day.

Spectators gathered in Couchiching Beach Park for the traditional July 1 fireworks display are again invited to take part in a mass sing-along led by a volunteer band of minstrels.

“We get great harmonies going, we all play off each other,” said strum-along coordinator John Emberson. “It is fun to have the audience participation, and that is what it is all about, that anybody can be part of it.”

An Orillia Today-produced songbook containing the lyrics and chords to the 10-song set-list will be available at the farmers’ market this Saturday.

Copies will also be available at the park on Canada Day.

Tunes included in this year’s campfire-style jam include Stompin’ Tom Connors’ The Hockey Song, Big Yellow Taxi by Joni Mitchell, Signs, by the Five Man Electrical Band, and Gordon Lightfoot’s Rainy Day People.

“These are great Canadian songs,” Emberson added.

Music and pyrotechnics cap off a day packed with activities and entertainment.

Historical military re-enactments, a children’s village and live entertainment are among numerous attractions on offer, according to Orillia’s volunteer-led Canada Day Committee.

A parade begins at noon, winding through the downtown and ending at the park, followed by opening ceremonies and a birthday cake for the masses.

Twenty-eight newcomers to the country will take a citizenship oath during a ceremony taking place at Pavillion II at 2 p.m.

Organizers have additionally planned a cluster of environmental displays, dubbed “Our Planet Earth,” with a dozen or more groups represented.

“It is great for all ages,” said promotions chair Catherine Ashton. “There are just a great variety of displays there.”

Participants include Kids for Turtles, the Toronto Zoo Foundation, Sciensational Snakes, the Lake Simcoe Region Conservation Authority, and the Couchiching Conservancy.

Longtime resident Pete McGarvey, who decades ago spearheaded an effort to preserve the home of Stephen Leacock, will be honoured during opening ceremonies.

“He has made so many contributions to the community,” Ashton said.

Organizers are encouraging visitors to the park to support the non-profit event by purchasing a Canada Day button for $2.

The singalong gets under way at 9 p.m.

For more information, go online.

Elsewhere in the region, Washago starts its Canada Day celebrations with a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. until 11 a.m., followed by talent shows, live bands and a street dance.