Top 5 Things to Do on Family Day in Oakville, Burlington, Milton
Published February 15, 2018 at 2:19 pm
February 19, 2018 is going to be a great day.
It’s the first statutory holiday since New Year’s, and the stretch between Jan. 1 and Family Day is made longer by the cold weather and lack of sunshine.
The purpose of Family Day is to spend it with–you guessed it–your family! Whether this means spending the day with your parents, kids, closest friends, or significant other, round up your loved ones and have some fun together. Here are 5 ideas to get you planning for your Family Day.
5. Ride the rails.
Most kids absolutely love public transit. Kids 12 and under can ride GO Transit trains, buses, and UP Express for free this 2018 long weekend from the start of service on Feb. 17 to end of service on Feb. 19. A few things to keep in mind before you travel: Children don’t require a ticket to travel (click here for adult fare information). If a child transfers from a local transit service onto GO, they won’t be eligible for the co-fare discount. This doesn’t apply to TTC, as children 12 and under always travel for free. If you plan on bringing a large group of kids, call 1-888-GET-ON-GO (438-6646) in advance so your group can be accommodated.
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4. Get moving.
The Town of Oakville’s 10th annual Make Your Move Family Day offers up a full slate of free activities and special events for all with more than 100 activities to choose from, including swims and skates. Speaking of which, skate and helmet rentals are available at Joshua’s Creek Arenas, Maple Grove Arena (cash payments only), River Oaks Community Centre and Sixteen Mile Sports Complex. Skate and helmet rentals are first-come, first-serve. Quantities and sizes are limited. Skate and helmet rental rates apply. There’s also Toyland Puppets, a high energy show that involves the 3 to 10-year-olds who will also be happy to meet Rudy the Clown. Tickets are free and can be picked up at the entrance of the Black Box Theatre one hour prior to the start of each performance. Keep in mind, there’s a maximum of five tickets per person and spaces are limited.
In Burlington, a Family Day skate is taking place on Feb. 19 from 12:30 p.m. until 2:30 p.m. at Aldershot Arena and all are welcome to join MPP Eleanor McMahon on the ice. There will be free hot chocolate until it runs out!
3. Crack up.
Get your laugh on. The Burlington Comedy Festival has events running for families and adult programming after you put the kids to bed on Monday. The third annual Burlington Comedy Festival kicks off on Feb. 19 with comics taking the stage at two venues. “We have had full houses in the past,” said Burlington Downtown Business Association executive director Brian Dean. Performers such as comedian/actor Kevin Pollak, The Kids in the Hall’s Scott Thompson, Canadian writer/actor Jon Dore, and rising star Nick Nemeroff will be cracking up crowds at two venues: the Burlington Performing Arts Centre (BPAC) and the Water Street Cooker. More than a dozen comedians and variety performers will be featured in the three-day festival.
2. Get your frog on.
Why not head out to Aldershot to check out the full day of programming at RBG? There are animals, the escarpment trains exhibit, frogs galore being featured at a cool new exhibit. Frogs! is running at the Royal Botanical Gardens’ RBG Centre until April 15. You can experience the most visually stunning, vocally pleasing, and adaptively remarkable life forms on earth. “If you’ve never thought of frogs as beautiful, this exhibition will change your mind,” according to the RBG. Frogs! is a dynamic exhibit experience with two special exhibitions and daily, family-friendly activities where visitors of all ages can explore the wonderful world of frogs and their wetland homes.
1. Park yourself outside.
Head to a Conservation Halton park. You’ll find plenty of Family Weekend fun in store across Milton, from horse drawn rides at Mountsberg (followed by hot chocolate and a marshmallow roast!) to snow painting at Crawford Lake. You can explore the Turtle and Deer Clan Longhouses, and see in the “Celebrating Sweet Water Display” inside the Deer Clan. Put on snowshoes and go for a snowy winter walk to the meromictic lake. For Family weekend, there will be snowsnake games, a snowshoe demonstration, and a campfire for roasting marshmallows.
A Family Day – Winter Fun event is also taking place at Bronte Creek Provincial Park in Oakville. Family Day activities centre around the Children’s Farm and Playbarn. The Children’s Farm is open from 9 a.m. until 4 p.m. You can tour the various barns and outbuildings to see your favourite farm animals. Pellet feed stations are available (funds support the Friends of Bronte Creek Park). At the Children’s Playbarn, kids 10 and under can climb, jump and explore tunnels. The Nature Centre is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Live animals and hands-on displays will be showcasing Bronte Creek Provincial Park’s natural world, while nature and heritage crafts will be offered inside the nature centre.
BONUS:
Cram-A-Cruiser
If you’re in town this weekend, you can shun materialism and highlight altruism. Halton police’s regional community mobilization bureau is running its annual Family Day weekend Cram-A-Cruiser food drive. You can tour a police cruisers, meet McGruff the Crime Dog, and help your neighbours. It’s taking place at Fortinos (2515 Appleby Line) on Sunday, Feb.18 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. Most-needed items include – but aren’t limited to – canned goods such as fish, meat, stews, soup, vegetables and fruit, cereal (whole grains), dry pasta and sauce, baby diapers and formula, household products, juice (boxes or cans), peanut butter, personal hygiene products, rice and nutritious snacks. Donations will be made to Open Doors at St. Christopher’s Church, which serves hundreds of families each month and provides programming, seniors luncheons and dinner nights at no charge. “It is heartwarming to see Burlington residents come together in support of families in the community at this event and gives Family Day an additional meaning,” said Cram-A-Cruiser coordinator Angela Oliver.
What’s Open and Closed Family Day in Oakville, Burlington, and Milton
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