National Day celebrations in the heartlands as Singapore turns 58
Among the activities lined up at five heartland sites over the weekend of Aug 5 and Aug 6 are sports try-outs, exhibitions, performances and activities for families.
SINGAPORE: More Singaporeans will be able to participate in this year’s National Day celebrations as the country marks its 58th year of independence, with a series of events and community activities at five heartland locations during the weekend of Aug 5 and Aug 6.
This year’s heartland celebrations will feature a line-up of programmes, including sport try-outs and live performances, said the organisers in a news release on Tuesday (Jul 11).
They will be held at the ActiveSG Bedok Sport Centre, ActiveSG Jurong West Sport Centre, ActiveSG Toa Payoh Sport Centre, ActiveSG Woodlands Sport Centre and Our Tampines Hub. The sites will host the festivals from 4pm to 9pm on both days, except Our Tampines Hub, where it will take place only on Aug 6.
Chairman of the NDP 2023 Heartland Celebrations Committee, Colonel Teng Shin Fong said: “This year’s heartland celebrations, the ‘GetActive! Singapore Heartland Festivals’, will feature an exciting line-up of programmes for Singaporeans to come together as a community to celebrate another year of our nation’s independence."
The activities, organised in partnership with Sport Singapore, include:
- Sport tryouts: Athletics, basketball, floorball, football, hockey, table tennis and tennis
- Experiential activities: Archery, skateboarding, roller skating, Nerf, Zorb ball
- Kampung games: Life-sized fun for the young and young at heart
- Family fun activities: Bouncy castles, community mural painting, snack booths
- Live stage performances
- Fringe activities
Admission to the festival sites will be ticketed based on the respective site capacities. Details on tickets will be available on the NDP website from noon on Wednesday.
NATIONAL DAY
On Aug 9, prior to the parade at the Padang, two CH-47SD Chinook helicopters, each escorted by two AH-64D Apache helicopters, will execute the “Fly Our Flag” segment, flying the state flag across Singapore.
Starting from around 5.30pm to 6.30pm, the helicopters will fly two routes – a western route that takes them past locations such as Woodlands, Choa Chu Kang and Jurong, and an eastern route which includes Toa Payoh, Bishan, Pasir Ris, Tampines and Changi.
From 5.40pm to 6.10pm, an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport accompanied by six F-16D+ and three F-15SG fighter aircraft will execute the RSAF55 Island Flypast, flying in the vicinity of the five heartland sites: Jurong West, Woodlands, Toa Payoh, Tampines and Bedok.
More Singaporeans will be able to participate in this year’s National Day celebrations as the country marks its 58th year of independence, with a series of events and community activities at five heartland locations during the weekend of Aug 5 and Aug 6. Sherlyn Seah reports.
The RSAF55 F-15SG, with its RSAF55 tail flash, will also be a part of this formation, greeting Singaporeans in the heartlands.
Concurrent with the fireworks medley at the Padang on National Day, fireworks will also go off at the five heartland sites, which will be open to the public from 6pm.
The fireworks display is expected to take place between 8.15pm and 8.25pm.
Public viewing at these sites will be facilitated on a first-come, first-served basis, said the NDP 2023 Executive Committee and SportSG.
ActiveSG chief Tan Hock Leong said: “We hope that residents near these sites will bring their family and friends to join us in celebrating National Day through sport."