Plenty to do on Family Day weekend
Amusement park inside Scotiabank Convention Centre
There’s no need to wait until Monday to start having fun on Family Day.
A three- day indoor amusement park has been set up i nside t he Scotiabank Convention Centre on Stanley Ave. in Niagara Falls where the fun begins on Saturday at 10 a. m. and runs until 6 p. m. each day.
“We are going to have everything from a rock climbing wall to a merry- go- round, a fun house, a number of bouncing castles, bumper cars and arcades,” said Ben Freeman, director of operations f or Superior Events Group. “We will have something for every age group and it’s going to be fun for the whole family.”
There’s an $ 8 entry fee for adults, which does not include ride passes, and it’s $25 for children, which includes admission and unlimited pass to all rides all day long.
“Having an amusement park in February is a wonderful and unconventional way to enjoy the outdoors inside,” said Kerry Painter, president and general manager of the convention centre.
On Monday, the Gale Centre will be open for limited hours, from 11 a. m. to 4 p. m., on two rinks. There will be free public skating, stick and puck and youth shinny.
Family and Children’s Services Niagara is hosting its fourth annual Family Day Free Skates Monday, at nine locations around the region. In Niagara Falls it will take place from noon to 2 p.m. at the Rink at the Brink. In Fort Erie, they will have skating from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Leisureplex. In St. Catharines, they will have skating from 9:45 a.m. to 11:15 a.m. at Seymour-hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre.
The Niagara Parks Commission is offering a single price with their Niagara Magic Pass at three of their attractions, Journey Behind the Falls, Niagara’s Fury and the Butterfly Conservatory. As an added bonus, the Butterfly Conservatory is currently hosting a unique and educational exhibit, Under the Canopy: Animals of the Rainforest.
On Saturday, Niagara Parks’ heritage staff will be in period costume at Niagara Square to share more information about the upcoming bicentennial. On Sunday and Monday, the heritage team will move their display to Table Rock Complex, alongside the recently updated Ontario Power Generation interpretative board and information related to power production in the province.
Heartland Forest, located at 8400 Kalar Rd., Niagara Falls, is holding its Winterfest from 10 a. m. to 4 p. m. Sunday and Monday. Some of the fun things to see and do include the family obstacle course, butter sculpting and snowmen contests, wildlife displays and chainsaw carving demonstrations.