Family Day Weekend Events

February 18

• Family Fun Fair. Midway Adventureland. More info
• Winterlude. Downtown Ottawa. More info
• Hop on Pop Dads Playgroup. Rural Family Connections. More info
• Snow Blast 2017. Elizabeth Manley Park. More info
• Carlingwood Indoor Winter Carnival. More info
• Meet and Greet with Cinderella. Barrhaven Indigo. More info
• Central Park Mini Winterlude. Central Park. More info
• Meet Anna and Elsa at Winterlude. Snowflake Kingdom. More info
• Morning Mommy Mixer. buybuy Baby. More info

February 19

• Winterlude. Downtown Ottawa. More info
• Festival des jeux gonflables. Rockland. More info
• Surf's Up Beach Themed Day. Goulbourn Museum. More info
• Monkey Around Turns 5. Monkey Around Ottawa. More info
• Fete de la Familie. Navan. More info
• Family Fun Night. Aquaview Community Centre. More info
• Family Dinner and a Movie. ALE Stittsville. More info

February 20

• Winterlude. Downtown Ottawa. More info
• Festival des jeux gonflables. Rockland. More info
• Family Day. Agriculture Museum. More info
• Kemptville Family Day. Kemptville. More info
• Family Day at Midway. Midway.More info
• Family Day at the Aviation Museum. More info
• Family Fun Day at Maple Ridge Community Centre. More info
• Family Skate Day. Mlacak Arena. More info
• Family Day at the Arcade. House of Targ. More info
• Annual Family Day Winter Carnival. Pushman Park. More info
• Skate for a cure. Ben Franklin Place. More info
• Family Day Skate. Minto Recreation. More info
• Family Day Monkey Rock Concert. The Brass Monkey. More info
• Family Fun Day. Altavista Outdoor Rink. More info
• Royal Skating at Rideau Hall. More info

Kicksleds at Winterlude

Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sundays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Enjoy the pleasures of winter on a kicksled — alone, or with a child sitting up front. You’ll love the outdoor activity that millions of Europeans have already taken to!

Location: Jacques-Cartier Park

Winterlude -Car Obstacle Course

Giant 3D Little Car Course

Saturdays and Sundays, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Monday, February 16, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Children 6 and under will enjoy this new and exciting miniature 3D village little car course. Includes houses, a gas station, a drawbridge, a covered bridge, road signs, a railway and much more.

Jacques Cartier Park

Jacques-Cartier Park

Hours of Operation

Mondays and Thursdays, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Fridays and Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Sundays, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The park is closed on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

 

Come Play in the Snow!

Experience the fun of winter at the biggest snow playground on the continent! At the Snowflake Kingdom in Gatineau, you’ll find tons of activities inspired by the Canadian winter and Northern traditions along with snow sculptures and introduction to downhill skiing. 

The Ice Hog family, beloved mascots of Winterlude, can also be found at the Snowflake Kingdom. The Ice Hog family lives here at Jacques-Cartier Park while visiting Canada’s Capital Region each February. They love to play and give out hugs, and are happy to pose for pictures.

Super Slides

Zoom down the slides at top speed! Get ready for an exciting sliding experience!

• Chinook: A tube slide that will give you a rush!
• The Iceberg and the Glacier: Snow slides that you can plunge down by yourself or with a group!
• Kiddie Slide: A super fun first sliding experience for the little ones!

Fun and laughter guaranteed for the whole family!

Winterlude Ice Carving Competition

28th Crystal Garden International Ice-Carving Competition

• Friday, January 30, 11:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Saturday, January 31, 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.
• Sunday, February 1, 8 a.m. to noon
• Awards ceremony: Sunday, February 1, 5 p.m.

Professional carvers from around the world put their talent to the test.

Location: Confederation Park

Winterlude Triathlon

Saturday, Jan 31st, 2015, 8AM

Dow's Lake

Come join hundreds of winter enthusiasts and participate in a truly unique event:

This great event is one of the oldest Winterlude activities and exemplifies what winter in the Nation's Capital is all about-skating on the Rideau Canal, coupled with cross-country skiing and running. Distances include an 8-km skate, 8-km ski and 5-km run.

Winterlude January 30th-February 16th

Calendar of Events

Celebrate the joys of winter at Winterlude, with three fun-filled weeks in February. Canada's favourite winter activities are featured across Ottawa and Gatineau at this annual event.

The Winterlude festivities are focused in three main locations:

• The Crystal Garden, in Confederation Park, is home to amazing ice sculptures.
• The Snowflake Kingdom, in Jacques-Cartier Park, is a kid's paradise with snow slides and no shortage of outdoor fun.
• The Rideau Canal Skateway, which winds its way through downtown Ottawa, is the world's largest skating rink.

Throughout Winterlude there are hundreds of activities taking place at these and other locations in Canada's Capital Region.

Ice Sculptures at the Bytown Museum

SNOW MUCH MORE FUN at the MUSÉE BYTOWN MUSEUM this Winterlude!

We are thrilled to participate in Winterlude once again! Come warm up to hot apple cider and join us at the BYTOWN MUSEUM, Ottawa’s oldest Community Museum, to explore Ottawa’s History with our Youth-led Tours, an Ice Carving demonstration, hands-on activities and excellent exhibitions.
This year, we are pleased to present our second annual an Ice Carving demonstration by the Canadian
Ice Carvers’ Society on Saturday, February 7th from 12 noon to 3 pm.
All our activities and events take place on Winterlude Weekends and Family Day. Throughout Winterlude Festival 2015, January 31 to February 16, the BYTOWN MUSEUM is pleased to offer a special admission rate of $2.00 a person. For Winterlude weekends, we are pleased to be open for extended Winterlude Hours from 11 am to 5 pm.

Special Events:
ICE SCULPTORS AT WORK, take 2! Saturday, February 7th, 2015, 12 am to 3 pm
We are pleased to present our second annual Ice Carving demonstration by the Canadian Ice Carvers Society. Join us outside on February 7 when the winning design, as chosen by our Facebook fans, will be brought to life in ice. Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to vote for what you consider to be the best design! Keep an eye on our Facebook page and Twitter as we reveal the winning design on February 7th. If you cannot come to watch the Ice Sculpting take place, follow the sculpting live as it comes alive in Ice!

Kilt Skate Day

January 31 is Kilt Skate Day

Across Canada, skaters to celebrate Sir John A’s Birthday with Bare Knees and Skates

“Some of us have been marking Sir John A’s birthday for years by getting out on the Rideau Canal Skateway in our kilts,” says Don Cummer of the Scottish Society of Ottawa. “For the bicentennial, we wanted to turn this into a bigger, public event. The next thing we knew, other cities wanted to join in.”

Macdonald was born in Glasgow in January, 1815, and came to Canada as a boy with his family. The Department of Canadian Heritage has supported the kilt skates as a way to celebrate his bicentennial.

In Ottawa, the kilt skate will be held in partnership with Winterlude, and will take place on the Rideau Canal Skateway with a concert of Scottish music at Confederation Park.

Further information:

Ottawa and NationalTracy Cook
Scottish Society of Ottawa
613-692-8368
hogmanay@thescottishsocietyofottawa.com