A little ways into February, there’s still plenty of things to do in Dysart et al.
The township kicked off its 28 Days of Fun event on Feb. 1, with several shows, outdoor activities, and the opening of the Harcourt outdoor rink happening since.
The event sees residents complete winter activities in the township, such as visiting local landmarks or doing outdoor sports, and filling out the “passport” booklet of activities. They can then submit the passport to the township, or send in photos, for a chance to win prizes.
“We just hope people get out and try things, even if they only do a few activities, make their entries and give it a go,” says Andrea Mueller, Dysart et al’s Manager of Events and Programs. “It’s fun, and I’ve really been enjoying some of the submissions that have been coming in. It looks like they’re having a good time. Somebody submitted a picture with chains on their mountain bike cause they were going snow biking, it’s pretty awesome.”
The month-long event replaces the long-running Frost Festival, which last happened in 2019. Mueller says they’re sad to see it go, but years of increasingly unpredictable weather have caused them to rethink the format.
“In years leading up, we’ve had to cancel it because we had minus 40-degree temperatures, and we couldn’t expect volunteers to be outside all day in that,” says Mueller. “The following year, in the middle of the day it was plus 16 degrees Celsius. We had a rink and this and that, and it all disintegrated basically.”
Mueller says activities don’t have to be completed in the booklet’s order, and several can be done from home, such as cooking or shovelling a neighbour’s driveway. She adds that residents are welcome to come up with and do their own activities, and submit those instead.
“Some of the things, maybe we haven’t thought of before when somebody’s trying something new,” says Mueller. “We might go ‘oh that’s neat, we should jump on that for next year’.”
She adds to keep safety in mind in any activity and keep an eye on the weather. “If you’re choosing to go ice fishing, you need to make sure the ice is safe,” she says.
Prizes include a guided dogsled tour from Winterdance Dogsled Tours, a pony or horseback ride from South Algonquin Trails, and a $100 gift certificate to their choice of local business.
“We decided to go with prizes from groups and organizations that would have been in attendance at the Frost Festival,” says Mueller. “We wanted to support the businesses that have supported us at Frost Festival in the past.”
Every four stamps collected or photos submitted nets you one entry into the prize draw, which must be done before March 3. More details are available at the township website.