You’ll have ‘fun, fun, fun’ this Family Day long weekend

By Patricia D'Cunha and Samantha Knight

Family Day is not just for families. It’s a well-deserved long weekend — the last break we had was over the Christmas holidays and the next long weekend is Easter.

If you are looking for something to do this weekend, there are plenty of things happening across the GTA to entertain just about everyone. The City of Toronto is also offering free outdoor and indoor activities. Click here for a full list.


What’s open and closed on Family Day

Open

  • Most tourist attractions and museums: Art Gallery of Ontario (10:30 a.m. – 4 p.m.), Royal Ontario Museum (10 a.m. – 5:30 p.m.), CN Tower (9 a.m. – 10:30 p.m.), Casa Loma (9:30 a.m. – 9 p.m.), the Toronto Zoo (9:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.), and Hockey Hall of Fame (10 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
  • TTC runs on a holiday schedule and GO Transit operates on a Saturday schedule
  • Some malls: Bramalea City Centre (11 a.m. – 6 p.m.), Eaton Centre (10 a.m. – 6 p.m.), Pacific Mall (11 a.m. – 8 p.m.), Promenade (11 a.m. – 6 p.m.), Square One (11 a.m. – 6 p.m.), Vaughan Mills (10 a.m. – 7 p.m.), and Toronto Premium Outlets (9:30 a.m. – 7 p.m.)
  • Some grocery stores, but call ahead for hours
  • Most city-run ice rinks and arenas
  • Federal government offices; mail will be delivered

 

Closed

  • LCBO and Beer Stores
  • Municipal buildings and banks
  • Schools and public libraries
  • Post offices located in closed retail outlets

Family Day events

Accessible fun in Whitby
Enjoy wheelchair basketball, sledge hockey and other fun activities at the Abilities Centre in Whitby – a 125,000-square-foot facility that allows people of all strengths to be themselves. Click here for a list of activities.

Art for kids
The Art Gallery of Ontario is not just home to some of the best art in the world. It is also a place where kids can let their imagination run wild.

 

Children can make kites and paper sailboats, build cities and forts, take part in interactive skipping, or watch a short film written by two seven-year-olds. The fun takes place from 10:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free for children five and under.

Celebrate the world at ROM
The world awaits your family at the Royal Ontario Museum this Family Day long weekend.

Asafo flag artists will be on hand to show you how to make your own flag. Asafo are traditional warrior groups in Ghana’s Akan culture. You can also test your creative skills by adding hues to the flags on a giant colouring wall.

In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, you can also share a video of what Canada means, as part of a contest.

 

As part of the Lunar New Year, there will also be traditional Chinese arts and crafts, a traditional lion dance, Chinese calligraphy workshops, and fortune telling.

To top it all off, watch performances by Opera Atelier that include Renaissance and Baroque court dances, 19th-century character dances, Spanish Sevillanas, an early Romantic ballet and a French Baroque aria.

Family Paint Day
What could be more fun than painting with your family on Family Day? There may be some squabbles every now and then, but collaboration is all part of the process.

The Paint Lounge has three sessions to choose from, each at a cost of $50 (plus HST) per family for a 24″ x 30″ canvas. Registration is required.

Family Day Weekend at the Toronto Zoo
Celebrate families of all shapes and sizes at the Toronto Zoo this Family Day weekend.

The zoo is open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. daily and guests can meet Canada’s only giant panda cubs, Jia Yueyue and Jia Panpan. The zoo offers over 10 kilometres of walking trails and five indoor tropical pavilions, along with daily animal keeper talks.

 

Also on this weekend is “Connecting with Wildlife Conservation – Big and Small Wild Families,” where kids and adults can visit interpretive stations at the Tundra Trek (polar bear), African Rainforest and Indomalaya pavilions.

Beauty and the Beast Exhibit at Casa Loma
Casa Loma is bringing a whole new meaning to “be our guest” this Family Day weekend, with its unique Beauty and the Beast exhibit.

Visitors to the castle will have an exclusive opportunity to see nine costumes from the upcoming “Beauty and the Beast” film. The event also includes themed activities and special performances throughout the weekend.

Access to the exhibit is included with general admission. It runs from 9:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., Friday through Monday. The live-action adaptation of “Beauty and the Beast” hits theatres on March 17.

Other events

Canadian International AutoShow
Car buffs will be taking over the Metro Toronto Convention Centre for the Canadian International AutoShow’s 10-day stint.

 

The event is considered the biggest and best consumer show in Canada, with over 300,000 visitors each year in a 650,000-square-foot facility.

This year’s highlights include Auto Exotica, the new Hyundai Accent, the Aston Martin concept hypercar and a celebration of 50 years of Grand Prix in Canada.

The show is held in the north and south buildings of the convention centre. It wraps up on Feb. 26.

DJ Skate Nights: 1 Love T.O. 10th Anniversary Party
Lace up your skates for the final DJ Skate Night of 2017. This Saturday’s event celebrates the 10th anniversary of 1 Love T.O., a movement that aims to be a unifying voice within the city.

Guests will skate to funk, hip-hop, R&B and house. Mr. 1 Love T.O. – Tyrone “T-Rex” Edwards – will host. The party goes from 8 p.m. to 11 p.m.

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