Family Day is a weekend “Adventure” in Aurora

Family Day fun returns to Town Park this week as Aurora hosts the annual Arctic Adventure – but this year's Adventure isn't limited to just February 20. Family Day fun is set to kick off Saturday evening with a new spin on a family favourite.

Spread over two days, Arctic Adventure will begin on Saturday, February 18, at 6 p.m. with the popular Speaking of Wildlife Show under a starry sky illuminated further by bonfires.

Throughout the evening, “storywalks” will take place, which will allow young booklovers to follow on foot the paths of some fun characters – with a book to keep at the end.

On Family Day itself, February 20, Arctic Adventure will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with professional ice carving, winter games, and much more.

“We're pleased to be able to take this traditionally one-day event and expand it,” says Shelley Ware, Special Events Coordinator for the Town of Aurora. “With the special Speaking of Wildlife show on the Band Shell stage on Saturday, we'll also have our lit-up igloo, which was such a huge hit at our Christmas Market. Making this a unique and new experience will be two ‘storywalks' set up in the park where you can literally walk from one page of the story to another page. We'll be proving 50 free copies of the books (Robert Munch's “Snow Much Fun” and Susan Cooper's “The Shortest Day”) for the first 50 families. We're incorporating the love for learning with reading in an outdoor atmosphere while embracing the exciting things that the winter season has to offer us with the snow, with the crisp temperatures, as well as the bonfires. It's a nice trifecta of experiences for the family.”

While this is the first time the Town has expanded Arctic Adventure to a second day, beginning the fun on Saturday was eyed for last year, but the weather was not in their favour.

“With this activity, we're providing more activities on the Monday,” says Ms. Ware. “I personally think Town Park is just as enchanting in the evening as it is during the day and we have the infrastructure.”

On Monday, winter's best offerings return to Town Park with seasonal activities like mini-snow tubing, ice sculptures and more. New this year will be the Great Canadian Lumberjack Show, which will offer two performances showcasing their lumberjack skills – including sawing and carving – for live audiences.

“There will be some wood carvings done, but it's also about the energy and strength involved in the whole lumberjack industry, which has been compiled into a really entertaining show,” says Ms. Ware. “To keep it fun and festive, we've incorporated some outdoor activities under the theme of Snow Wars, so ‘may the Frost be with you.' We have a few Star Wars-themed activities that have been adapted for outdoor play. Mixing in with our favourite activities such as snow valley's mini snow tubing run, we'll have the inflatable Nerf axe throwing, weather permitting the rink will be set up there as well as a whole bunch of additional activities.  On Monday, there will also be food vendors with the Armoury pop-up café, the Optimist Club's barbecue fully set up and Catarina's Kitchen as well.”

Online activities will also be made available this week for families who might like to participate remotely.

“Even if the weather is slightly questionable on either day, we really want to encourage people to come out,” says Ms. Ware. “The warmth of the community completely changes an experience and I think there is just something so enchanting with those campfires in the evening and we want people to explore the Saturday. About 3,000 people experienced the Monday last year and we want people to really make a weekend of it, especially with these free experiences. We hope there will be a really good turnout for the story walk, the speaking of wildlife show on the Saturday night. Many ‘storywalks' happen in communities, but very few people have done it in an evening setting. That will be a new and unique experience for those coming out to it.”

For a full roster of Arctic Adventure activities on Saturday, February 18 and Monday, February 20, visit aurora.ca/arcticadventure.

By Brock Weir
Editor
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter