THUNDER BAY – The recent cold snap may have left Thunder Bay residents with less than warm feelings about the season, but with temperatures set to rise over the weekend, the timing is perfect for the Fort William Historical park’s annual winter celebration.
Park staff were out in force in Friday’s frigid temperatures, finalizing preparations for the Voyageur Winter Carnival, which runs from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday through Monday, which marks Family Day. It’s an over-20-year tradition packed with activities both traditional and modern.
Attendees can join in outdoor activities including a snow maze, zorb ball track, curling, and tubing, along with skating and ice dragon boat races on the frozen Kaministiquia River. The event will feature food vendors and indoor and outdoor entertainment, including at the licensed Mad Mac’s Tavern for those 19 and over.
The carnival will also feature some traditional activities, like the chance to fire a historic musket with the Canadian Corps of Volunteers or visit a cabane à sucre and enjoy francophone culture with the Club culturel francophone de Thunder Bay.
Visitors are encouraged to bring their own skates and sleds, and there will be an area to check those items.
Adults pay $10 for a day pass, or $20 for a weekend pass, with discounted rates for seniors, students, and youth. Children five and under get in free. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling the park, or at the visitor centre on arrival.
