BOBCAYGEON, Ont. -- Organizing a Tragically Hip viewing party in his hometown of Bobcaygeon, Ont., isn't just about being a fan of the legendary Canadian band for Aaron Shaw.

Shaw, who came up with the idea a couple weeks ago, has personal connections to cancer.

"I've had dealings with family, friends, my favourite teacher who had passed away of cancer who was probably one of the biggest impacts of my life," he said.

"I want to be able to give back to the community as well as the cancer society."

Bobcaygeon's "A Concert under the Constellations" was one of many such events around Canada to be held Saturday.

Celebrations are also taking place internationally -- at the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the Canada Olympic House will host a party for Canadian athletes along with their family and friends. Canadians Abroad of Southern California is having a viewing party in Los Angeles.

Bobcaygeon is shutting down its main street to screen the final stop of the Hip's "Man Machine Poem" tour, which is to be aired on CBC.

The 15-show tour, which is ending in Kingston, Ont., Saturday night, was announced after lead singer Gord Downie revealed earlier this year that he's battling terminal brain cancer.

The community became well known following the Hip's hit single "Bobcaygeon" from their 1998 album Phantom Power. The song earned a Juno Award for Best Single in 2000.

The song has also done wonders for the cottage country area, located about two hours north east of Toronto.

"I think they certainly helped put us on the map," Shaw said. "Anywhere you go in the world when you're travelling, you say Tragically Hip and they say Bobcaygeon. It's amazing. I've been to Thailand, I've been to Dubai, I say it and they say Bobcaygeon."

Celebrations for the viewing party began early in Bobcaygeon. Hip songs blared from boats at the Gordon Yacht Harbour Marina on Pigeon Lake and the song Bobcaygeon -- a local favourite -- played at several local businesses throughout the day.

Kathleen Seymour-Fagan, an organizer of the viewing party in Bobcaygeon and city councillor for the community's ward in Kawartha Lakes, says that hosting the event just made sense.

"Why not," she said. "The Tragically Hip mean a lot to Bobcaygeon and if you can produce something on our main street that we can close it down, have everybody come and celebrate the Hip, Gord Downie, our town, our community, that's what it's for.

"I think it will be emotional. It's going to be quite the event."

Seymour-Fagan also owns a local cafe and says that the event has been shared over 75,000 times on her business's Facebook page alone. Although organizers aren't certain on how many people will show up, Seymour-Fagan says that the Hip's hit single "really kind of epitomizes how this place feels."

The community has drawn interest from local media and outlets such as Al Jazeera. In the community tourist guide, it says that Downie may be the only one to understand the lyrical mysteries Bobcaygeon carries.

The Tragically Hip played a concert in Bobcaygeon in 2011, which attracted thousands of fans.

"I think it's true Canadiana," local owner Dave Poole said of the band.