Fire and ice are poles apart, but they are coming together once again to warm hearts on a cold February day as the Town of Aurora hosts Arctic Adventure this Family Day.

Hosted at Town Park on February 17, Arctic Adventure will offer a full day of family-friendly activities from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Taking advantage of the “fire” theme, activities include a bonfire, a fire show, and a chance to nip indoors for hot chocolate inside The Armoury, a feature offered by Niagara College. On the icier side of things, Arctic Adventure revellers will have the chance to enjoy outdoor skating, mini-snow tubing, a number of winter games, and the ever-popular Battle of the Chainsaws professional ice carving competition.

Live entertainment at the Town Park Bandshell kicks off at 10.30 a.m., running throughout the day, with Dawn Dreams, a contemporary circus artist specializing in myriad circus crafts, including contact juggling. At 11.30 a.m. the Speaking of Wildlife show will take place, giving families the chance to get an up-close look at such animals as foxes, owls, and other birds of prey.

At the noon-hour, the fun will be handed over to the “Ice Age” where you will get a chance to break up frozen blocks of ice to free a keepsake toy animal.

The Battle of the Chainsaws will take place at 12.30 and 2.15 p.m., and, in between, the FireGuy will take the stage to show how he set the Guinness World Record in Fire Eating.

Closing out the live entertainment at 3 p.m. will be Bex in Motion, a professional hula hoop entertainer who has turned her craft into an art form.

“I am really attracted to the extremes meeting one another,” says Shelley Ware, Special Events Supervisor for the Town of Aurora. “Representing winter with the ice carvings, it is cold and beautiful, but fire is the extreme opposite element and we get to celebrate both in the same setting. These experiences are both mesmerizing and magical. There truly is something for everybody and I think the hardest thing to do at this event is choose where you want to be at any given point in time. Not only is the day scheduled back to back to back with awesomeness, there are also inflatables, Body Zorbs, a mini-snow tube run, a mock curling rink and ice fishing.

“New this year, with The Armoury being open, we're really proud they are going to have a pop-up café with hot chocolate and pastry dishes to choose from. It will be the perfect warming station for people as they tour throughout the event – and for them to check out the Armoury if they haven't already had the chance to do so.

“With the beautiful amenities they provide, it will enable us to expand programming in the future – not only expand programming, but also expand it differently. Since they have been opened, this will be the first with an event being held at the same grounds. With this time around with Arctic Adventure, we're excited to do the pop-up café, learn more about what draws people to it, and next year we do have aggressive plans to expand further programming within the Armoury.”

At the end of the day, the Town of Aurora's annual Arctic Adventure is about providing opportunities for families to reconnect, both within the nuclear family and with families across town, however “family” is defined.

“Whether you have young children or whether you're an adult with other adults, come on down and still check it out because it is not just about the kids; it's Family Day and it is about the community coming together as a family,” says Ms. Ware. “Whether that is defined as the nuclear family or the community, it is truly the place to be on Monday, February 17. It is also a great excuse to stay active, but also celebrate the outdoors.”

For more information about the Town's 2020 Arctic Adventure, including a full schedule of activities and performances, visit aurora.ca/arcticadventure.

By Brock Weir