“Awesome and affordable” Family Day adventures await in Hamilton Halton Brant

$100 itineraries that your family and your wallet will love

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Hamilton Halton Brant Region, January 31, 2013 – For families that think it’s impossible to enjoy a fun-filled Family Day for under $100, it’s time to think again. Whether you’re looking for engaging indoor activities or active outdoor pursuits, tourism partners in Hamilton Halton Brant are offering a wide range of programming this Family Day that makes it easy and affordable to keep everyone happy.

These three $100 itineraries offer just a sample of some of the great events taking place in Hamilton Halton Brant for the long weekend.

Beasts that roar, treats galore, sing the score

·       The Royal Botanical Gardens’ Battle of the Titans exhibit is a must-see for any family with dinosaur lovers. Tyrannosaurus Rex takes on Triceratops in this fascinating exhibit that teaches tomorrow’s paleontologists about ecology and the environment that these majestic creatures lived through. On February 17^th and 18^th, visitors can join in on a question and answer period with Dr. Phil Manning, internationally renowned dinosaur hunter from the University of Manchester. Admission for a family of four is just $30.

·       Hunting dinosaurs can really work up an appetite, so when you’re done, make your way to downtown Burlington to explore the city’s delectable Chocolate Trail. Enjoy samples of decadent treats and special offers at the 13 retailers on this self-guided trail.

·       Sing off your sugar high at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre’s Sing-a-long Sound of Music extravaganza on February 18^th. Tickets are $70 for a family of four.

That’s a full day of fun for just $100 for a family of four (excludes taxes).

Take a ride, play outside, feel the pride

·         Bundle up and enjoy horse-drawn sleigh and wagon rides at Mountsberg Conservation Area’s Tales by a Winter Fire program on Family Day weekend as well as tobogganing, hiking and an outdoor bonfire to warm chilly toes. Park admission for a family of two adults and two children is $25.50 and children four and under are free. Sleigh and wagon rides are $3 for adults and $2 for children.

·         Enjoy free admission to Brantford’s Frosty Fest, on Family Day weekend, which will feature ice carving, horse-drawn trolley rides, figure skating shows, a street midway, free skating, pony rides, free Kids Zone games and fun winter fare like snow taffy.

·         While in Brantford, celebrate one of Canada’s most treasured inventors, Alexander Graham Bell, at the Bell Homestead National Historic Site. Learn how a young teacher of the deaf came to invent the telephone at his parent's home and try out telephones from days past for only a loonie per person on February 18th.

Enjoy all these activities and keep the change. This itinerary totals out at just $39.50 for a family of four (excludes taxes).

Classic shows, walk on snow, make it go

·         Share a laugh together at the Family Day Classic Comedies event at Whitehern Historic House and Garden. After a tour of the McQuesten home as it was in 1939, head to the renovated Stable to enjoy short comedy classic films such as The Little Rascals, The Three Stooges, and Laurel and Hardy. Admission for a family of four is $17, or purchase tickets online in advance and save 20 per cent.

·         Try out a new winter sport at Crawford Lake Conservation Area’s Snowflakes and Snowsnakes event on Family Day weekend. The festivities include demonstrations of snowshoeing and Snowsnake, a traditional Iroquoian winter game, winter survival hikes, Hemlock tea tasting, marshmallow roasts, craft making and much more! Park admission for a family of two adults and two children is $25.50 and children four and under are free.

·         Give budding inventors some hands-on fun at Hamilton Museum of Steam and Technology’s Family Fun Day on February 18th, where children ages six and up can use building blocks to create their own machines and buildings. Admission for a family of four is $17, or purchase online in advance and save 20 per cent.

This itinerary is also a great deal, costing just $59.50 for a family of four (excludes taxes).

For more trip ideas, event information and special offers to help plan your Family Day adventure, be sure to visit www.theheartofontario.com

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