1976 OHW
100 years in the making!

Skipped a year in 76 – Smiths Falls Old Home Week

In 1976 Old Home Week skipped a year in order to celebrate Smiths Falls 150th Anniversary and altogether proved to be a great success
More Nightshirt Antics
This photo was published by The Record News July 28 1976 features the Old Home Week Nightshirt Parade.
Bouncing baby Steve St-Laurent (reporter) gets a push from (left to right) Sharon Tapp, Merv Darling and Kitty Best. More than 500 people donned nightshirts, bikinis, diapers and various other costumes to take part in a nonsensical parade leaving onlookers in fits of laughter.
(Clifford Photo)
Plan ahead and join us for the 2025 Nightshirt Parade. Extend your trip to an 8-day getaway and rediscover the magic of Smiths Falls during the unforgettable Old Home Week 2025.
1976 Day by Day OHW Programme
To view the entire line-up for the 1976 Smiths Falls Old Home Week Events programme click the above image to download a PDF
Comin’ home to celebrate Old Home Week
The hydrants are painted; the flowers and welcome banners are flying; parking meters have become mini-gardens; countless gallons of “suds” are on their way.
All is ready for the town’s third Old Home Week celebrations which will be heralded by the raising the special town flag Friday morning at town hall.
Hours
Countless hours of preparation over the last five years have resulted in a program of over 100 events for the 11-day festival. Whether your interest lies with horses, golf, dancing, art, water shows, baseball, fiddle tunes or just renewing acquaintances over a meal and a drink, Old Home Week 1976 has something for you
30,000 Expected
About 30,000 former residents and tourists are expected to sell the town’s population during Old Home Week and organizers feel the wide array of activities will please everyone.
Giant parades and fireworks displays will take place this Saturday and next.
A midway will force traffic away from a three-block stretch of Beckwith St. Fifteen rides for adults and children, as well as numerous concessions, will be in operation from Tuesday until the Aug. 2 closing.

1976 Social Snippets
This is where we intend to provide your shared information of past Smiths Falls Old Home Weeks as sent to us through email or featured on our social media pages.
Do you have something to share that is related to a past Old Home Week? Drop a comment and image in a email to us or post on our Facebook or Instagram along with a image or two and we may include it here. Lets see what you got!!
Here is a great picture of a Molson Canadian Beer box and bottles featuring the Old Home Week Logo of 1976. This picture was provided by Payge Thompson Prowse and is from her mother’s collection posted to our Facebook Page.
Molson has been a great partner for Smiths Falls Old Home Week in 1976 and 2000…. Maybe they will make it three in a row and partner with us in 2025?
Interesting historical tid bits that HAPPENED in 1976
World Politics
Pierre Trudeau is Prime Minister of Canada
United States 38th President is Gerald Ford.
Canadian Parliament votes to abolish the death penalty.
Entertainment
The Man Who Skied Down Everest becomes the first Canadian dramatic film to win an Academy Award
Second City Television, commonly shortened to SCTV premiers in 1976
4 Top Movies
Rocky
$117,235,147
A Star is Born $63,129,898
King Kong
$52,614,445
Silver Streak
$51,079,064
Publishing
The popular Eaton’s catalogue is discontinued.
Farley Mowat: Canada North Now: The Great Betrayal
Marian Engel’s 1976 novel Bear, has been called one of the most controversial books in the history of Canadian literature.
In 1976, five prominent writers — Margaret Atwood, Pierre Berton, Graeme Gibson, Margaret Laurence, and David Young — founded Writers’ Trust to ensure that Canadian writing would continue to thrive
Alex Haley writes Roots
In Sports
Canada hosts it’s first Olypics with the Montreal Summer Olympic games.
Montreal Canadiens won their nineteenth Stanley Cup by defeating the Philadelphia Flyers 4 games to 0.
The Toronto Blue Jays are created as a baseball team.
Ottawa Rough Riders won their Ninth (and Final) Grey Cup by defeating the Saskatchewan Roughriders by the score 23 to 20
1976 World Series – Cincinnati Reds over New York Yankees (4-0)
Pittsburgh defeated Dallas 21-17 in Super Bowl X in Miami
In Technology
The CN Tower opens to the public in Toronto.
The Tim Hortons “Timbit” is introduced (April 1976)
The Toy – Stretch Armstrong, a large, gel-filled action figure that was first introduced
Steve Wozniak designed the first Apple I computer and later, with Steve Jobs co-founded Apple Computers
The VHS cassette player is released
Stop back often as we build out our history sections
Do you have cherished memories of participating in previous Smiths Falls Old Home Weeks?
Have you captured the essence of those magical moments in pictures or other keepsakes? Share your experiences with past and present residents of our magnificent town and let the history of Smiths Falls come alive. We eagerly await your stories and mementos.
Plan to visit Smiths Falls for Old Home Week 2025 Ontario Canada and become a part of our historical community celebration.