GRAVENHURST — Skokie’s big birthday party at the Y Friday night kicked off a busy Family Day weekend that went outside yesterday for even more fest fun.
Hundreds of mostly pre-teen kids and their families enjoyed an evening of free food, movies, activities and a dance at the YMCA that went in to overtime at the Terry Fox Auditorium.
That didn’t keep them — and hundreds more — from turning out at the Muskoka Wharf sports and events field Saturday to do it all over again.
Cold? Hardly. Snowy? Nothing they haven’t been used to this year.
Olivia Farrow and her sons Elliot and Owen head down to Skokie Fest Saturday, while walking past a Canadian Flag at MuskokaTODAY.com on the 60th anniversary of Flag Day. Photo Alex Hogg, MuskokaTODAY.com
All in good spirits with the crowd spread out in a circle taking in outdoors games of sock curling, nail driving, log sawing, donut eating, target hockey, “ice fishing,” ball-tossing, football passing, snow-shoe walking, train-riding, dog dashing, fire-juggling, live entertainment, a few vendors and the one with longest lineup — the “Witches Hunt Escape Room,” which we didn’t tempt ourselves with.
But by all expressions it was a hit.
With three food truck vendors, a too-tempting video van, marshmallows smores and more there was plenty on offer between 10 a.m. and a little past 3 p.m.
The polar bear dip Saturday and wreck-em car rally in Sunday were cancelled due to weather.
Overall a somewhat acceptable transition from the events downtown decades past.
Juggler Johnny Toronto wowed the close crowd outside the entertainment tent. Photos Mark ClairmontEnzo Mathias, 2, gets his hands around a donut, while watching his sisters Oaklynn, 8, and Dakoka Schell tackle them with their teeth.Whew! That’s one hot marshmallow. Perfect for making smores.TOG’s Holly Carney took the little white balls of puffed sugar off the stick and turned them in to smores sandwiched between two “Canadian-made cookies.”Brandon Gallant and daughter Mackenzie enjoy giant tasty cotton candy cones.Susan Smith, of Barrie, grits her teeth as she finishes pounding away in the Rotary nail-driving contest.Lucy Dickson, 8, leans her blade into the wood in the log-sawing contest.Sock it to me. Now here’s a great new snow game anyone can make in their backyard. Frying pan optional.Free fishing Family Day weekend was a great way for pint-sized fishers to catch and release.All aboard this cute choo-choo, which made the rounds at the Wharf sports and event field – until the end when it got stuck in the snow and had to get a push.There were all kinds of free games to play with everyone buying their carnival buttons.Rotary exchange students Amaya Weh Morillas, of Switzerland, and Teresa Bernardez, of Spain, enjoy a taste of Canadian hot chocolate while exchanging business cards.Alex Hogg tries another hand at breaking his scoring record at the Muskoka Royales’ ringette booth.Rotarians Tom Long, Marsha Barnes and Jane Bradford served up macaroni and cheese and hot chocolate made by GHS culinary students who received profits from the $4 sales.Little Ryelle and Pamela Mortimer dance while Mike Church belts out another cool tune in the entertainment tent. Hear him also Feb. 20 at Trinity United Church in Gravenhurst for a 7:30 p.m. GAP Coldest Night of Year fundraiser before their weekend event Feb. 22.What a winter. If only everyone had these snowshoes available to climb snowbanks.
