The city of Barrie is getting set to show why Winterfest is one of the Top 100 Festivals and Events in Ontario, year after year.
Winterfest 2020 happens Saturday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the majority of events taking place by the lake at Heritage Park and Meridian Place.
This year's theme is Books Alive and will have popular characters from novels and children’s books sculpted into ice and snow.
City of Barrie community events co-ordinator Arin Donnelly told BarrieToday that the city has been running Winterfest for approximately 30 years, but the event dates back even further than that.
“We were all just looking at the history of Winterfest recently and saw a photo that someone said was around 1950,” Donnelly said. “The city has been running it for 25 to 30 years, but it has been around longer than that.”
A popular addition to the festivities, the Toronto Maple Leafs Mobile Fan Zone will be back again with a special appearance by former NHL'er and local native Shayne Corson at 1 p.m., Saturday.
The Scouts are back with their winter cook-out, while there will also be horse-drawn wagon rides and the tube slide.
There won’t be any lake activities this year, because the ice thickness is always unpredictable, but Donnelly says that won’t change the fun to be had.
“We roll with whatever the weather hands us. Sun, rain or snow, we have the event,” Donnelly said. “It is always a great time and not too difficult to plan for.”
Many activities are taking place around the community, with a pancake breakfast hosted by the Lions Club of Barrie on Saturday morning at Collier Street United Church, story time, crafts, performances, escape room and more at Barrie Public Library and MacLaren Art Centre.
The Grey & Simcoe Foresters Regimental Museum will have a tour of their building at 36 Mulcaster St., and toonie skates and swims are happening at East Bayfield Community Centre, Allandale Recreation Centre and Holly Community Centre.
Road closures will affect traffic. Simcoe Street will be closed from Maple Avenue to Dunlop Street from 6 a.m. Saturday until 6 p.m. on Sunday.
There is a free shuttle service from Bayfield Mall to the downtown transit terminal.
Times and days of all events and services can be found at the website.
