Start The Celebration With a Cheer

Christmas may be over and many people dread the long winter that follows.  However, there is another time of celebration coming.  Many communities organize winter carnivals to get family and friends together for another round of celebrations, parties, potluck dinners, outdoor and indoor fun, enjoying favorite winter sports and other games.

Sault Ste. Marie and Ottawa are home to the largest winter carnivals in Ontario.  The Bon Soo Carnival in Sault Ste. Marie and Winterlude in Ottawa both take place during the first full week of February, beginning February 4 and running through to February 13.  There are all sorts of activities for young and old.  The fun includes building snow sculptures, ice skating – Ottawa has 8 kilometres on the Rideau Canal, pancake breakfasts, hockey games, concerts, comedy, outdoor games, relay races, sleigh rides and more.  Fore the more active and perhaps livelier bunch, there is jibbing – skiing and snowboarding on rails and tables, snow canoe races, bungee skiing, polar bear swims, even crashed ice – downhill ice skating.

We also have our own winter carnival.  The Elliot Lake Winterfest takes place February 24 to 27 with events at the lake near Spruce Beach, Collins Hall, Mount Dufour Ski Hill, Lower Plaza, and Horne Lake.  The CTV Ice Fishing Derby on Horne Lake is a popular event.  You can take bowling to a new hilarious level with turkey bowling by bowling frozen turkeys across the main square.  Or you can be more adventurous, by going white-water canoeing – literally, down the slopes at Mount Dufour.  Or if you can’t wait for summer to play your favorite outdoor sports, there are winter adaptations of baseball – snowpitch, snowshoe golf, and snow volleyball.

When you have your fill of outdoor fun and need to warm up, you can take part in indoor activities as well.  Dances and concerts take place at Collins Hall and at the Pearson Civic Centre.  A pancake breakfast takes place at the Renaissance Centre – the Ren-Cen.  And there are activities you can organize and create yourself.  Winterfest is the perfect time to organize a potluck supper.  Just create your favorite entrée, appetizer and dessert to share with all the participants.  Perhaps you can have a winter sing-along after, watch movies or play games.

Don’t be bored.  Get out and have fun.  You’re sure to enjoy the “other festive season” with Winterfest

Pim D..