Dysart et al is kicking off a new month-long celebration through February.
The 28 Days of Fun event is designed to bring families together for a collection of free and inexpensive activities this month. Replacing the popular Frost Festival, which last ran in 2019, it is a chance for people across the municipality to try different activities at their own pace for an opportunity to win some prizes, says Andrea Mueller, the township’s recreation coordinator.
“We were looking at ways to get people out and exploring the municipality during the winter. The Frost Festival was a great event; however, we felt it was time for a change,” Mueller said. “At first, we discussed promoting a few key events, but then one of our staff suggested 28 activities – one for each day in February, so we ran with the idea.”
Passports outlining the various tasks can be picked up at town hall, the Dysart branch of the Haliburton County Public Library, the Haliburton Welcome Centre, and Haliburton Highlands Museum.
Mueller said staff had some fun developing the various activities, which feature several local landmarks. Among those are snowshoeing at Glebe Park, taking a winter picture at the Haliburton Sculpture Forest, visiting the Haliburton fish hatchery, stopping by a local art gallery or studio, and attending the grand opening of the Harcourt outdoor rink – Feb. 5 at 1 p.m.
There’s also a slew of features people can complete at home, such as cooking, trying out a winter sport, building a snowman, trying a new craft, and helping a neighbour shovel snow.
Most activities require a stamp, which can be collected by staffers at the various sites, or by taking and submitting a photo.
Activities do not have to be completed in any order. For every four stamps collected or photos submitted, people will earn an entry into the grand prize draw. People can earn a maximum of seven entries into the draw.
Prizes include a guided adventure from Winterdance Dogsled Tours, a pony ride at South Algonquin Trails and a $100 gift certificate to a local business of participants’ choosing. The contest will run from Feb. 1 to 28, with entries to be received no later than 4 p.m. March 3. Stamped passports can be dropped off at town hall or Haliburton Welcome Centre, while photos can be emailed to recreation@dysartetal.ca, including your name, phone number, date, and activity number.
The draw will take place March 6 live on Facebook.
“Age and ability do not matter, anyone and everyone is welcome to participate,” Mueller said. “The more activities you complete, the more you increase your chances to win. We hope that people will embrace this winter activity, as it is something we would like to offer each year, with a twist on the activities and prizes.”
Coming up
• Razzamataz presents Jam Side Up with the Kif-Kif Sisters Feb. 4 at 10 a.m. The show features flying bunnies and speeding French fries. “These identical twins fight giant pink monsters and practice the art of snacking. The Kif-Kif Sisters mix surprising comedy and audience interaction with enough happiness to make vegetables explode.” Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion, Haliburton.
• Hike Haliburton winter edition Feb. 4-5. “The festival is more than just traditional snowshoeing/hiking; heavily integrating the arts, culture, heritage and foodie experiences to truly showcase the area.” See winter. hikehaliburton.com for more information.
• Rails End Gallery presents its annual members salon exhibition Feb. 4 to April 1. This year’s theme is intersection. Curator Laurie Jones said, “Intersection is a word that brings to mind a crossing, a chance meeting, or perhaps a Venn diagram? Any convergence could be interpreted as a form of “intersection” but it can also refer to a severing of into distinct parts.”
• The massacre of most of the Donnelly family, the “Black Donnellys” as they were known, by an angry mob on a cold night in February, 1880 in Lucan, Ontario was a huge story at the time. The Yours Outdoors Speakers Series presents Keith Ross Leckie, author of the book, Cursed! Blood of the Donnellys, Feb. 8 at 7 p.m. at the Fish Hatchery on County Road 1.
