Family Day Fun in the City of Toronto

The City of Toronto encourages residents to enjoy Family Day on Monday, February 20 by taking advantage of City-run recreation facilities and historic attractions. Seven of the City's 10 historic sites will offer events, activities and tours on Family Day. Programming highlights for the open sites are listed below. Regular admission fees apply except for Historic Zion Schoolhouse. Times and activity details will vary by location. More information is available at: http://www.toronto.ca/museum-events.SkatingThere are 52 outdoor rinks or skating trails to choose from across the city, weather permitting. Many indoor arenas will also be open. There is no charge for public skating at the City's indoor arenas and outdoor rinks. CSA approved hockey helmets are mandatory for children under age the age of six and are recommended for skaters of all ages. Family Day schedules are available online at http://www.toronto.ca/familyday.The MLSE Foundation, in partnership with Toronto Parks, Forestry and Recreation, will be hosting a community event at Campbell Avenue Playground Outdoor Rink from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. to celebrate the donation of skates and learn-to-skate equipment to three City of Toronto outdoor rinks. Toronto Maple Leafs alumnus Darryl Sittler will attend, along with mascots and Toronto Maple Leafs hockey development coaches. The event will also include hot chocolate, cookie decorating and giveaways.Skiing/snowboardingEarl Bales Ski and Snowboard Centre will be open on Family Day, weather permitting. For updates and schedules, visit http://www.toronto.ca/ski.SwimmingLeisure swimming will be available at many indoor pools on Family Day. City-run leisure swims are free of charge for everyone. Family Day schedules are available online at the web link above, or by calling 311.Recreation programsSelect recreation facilities will offer programming for the whole family. Children accompanied by an adult can enjoy swimming, indoor/outdoor skating, yoga, Zumba®, gymnastics, sports, arts and crafts and much more. Family Day schedules for each recreation centre are available online or by calling 311.Riverdale FarmThe City's farm at 201 Winchester St., open daily from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., features farm animals and offers various activities. Admission is free.High Park ZooToronto's oldest zoo has been entertaining people for 120 years. The zoo, which houses domestic and exotic animals such as bison, llamas and reindeer, as well as our famous capybaras Bonnie and Clyde, is located on Deer Pen Road and is open daily from 7 a.m. to dusk. Admission is free.Conservatories and greenhousesResidents and visitors can warm up and take in the sights and scents at Toronto's beautiful conservatories, Allan Gardens Conservatory and Centennial Park Conservatory, open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Family Day. Admission is free and the conservatories are wheelchair-accessible.Fort York National Historic Site (250 Fort York Blvd.)Families can visit the fort's historic kitchen and sample baking from the hearth. Hot chocolate and a roaring fire will make for a memorable visit. Kids can try an 1812 drill class, the officers' sword drill, old-fashioned games and a fun-filled kids' activity book.Historic Zion Schoolhouse (1091 Finch Ave. E.)Families can explore this rare, one-room schoolhouse in North Toronto and take a step back in time with schoolmistress Miss Coulson. Visitors can learn how to write with a steel nib pen or on a slate and enjoy storytelling, craft making and other activities. Donations of new or gently used children's books will help the Children's Book Bank provide books and literacy support to children in need in Toronto. Admission is free.Mackenzie House (82 Bond St.)Visitors can celebrate Black History Month in Toronto by learning about Black Victorians and their publishers and newspaper journalists. On Family Day visitors can also enjoy performances at 1:30 and 3 p.m. by a Scottish dance troupe from the Guthrie School of Dance, who will be sharing Scottish Highland and Scottish Country dances and the history and stories that inspired them.Montgomery’s Inn (4709 Dundas St. W.)The inn will feature Maureen O'Leary of Maureen's Reel Irish Dancing, who will teach a dance workshop and then host a ceilidh at 2 and 3:30 p.m. There will also be a traditional French Canadian lumberjack dancing man and visitors can learn to play the spoons with the inn's resident fiddler at 1:30 and 3 p.m. In the afternoon, cooks in the historic kitchen will prepare tasty treats alongside historic games and crafts.Scarborough Museum (1007 Brimley Rd.)The museum will offer fun activities such as a scavenger hunt and a craft activity. Visitors will be able to sample baked goods and hot chocolate.Spadina Museum (285 Spadina Rd.)A family-friendly tour includes games and hands-on fun in the historic kitchen –all set in this beautifully restored 1920s environment.Todmorden Mills Heritage Site (67 Pottery Rd.)Visitors can make crafts and tour the historic homes while viewing the first ever retrospective of acclaimed Canadian painter Helen Lucas in the Papermill Gallery.Toronto ZooThe Toronto Zoo will be open from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Family Day, with daily activities free with zoo admission. More information about the zoo's indoor tropical pavilions, interactive interpretive stations and daily keeper talks is available at http://www.torontozoo.com.Other municipal facilities and servicesAll City of Toronto emergency and 24-hour services will operate normally on February 20. City administrative offices and service counters will be closed on Monday, re-opening on Tuesday, February 21. The major civic buildings including City Hall, Metro Hall and the civic centres will operate on a weekend schedule from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. for Family Day.The TTC will operate on its holiday schedule on Family Day. All TTC routes will operate on their Sunday service schedules, but will start earlier, at approximately 6 a.m. Any routes that do not normally operate on Sundays, will not operate on the holiday. Subway service will start around 6 a.m. and will run every 4-5 minutes. More TTC information is available at http://ttc.ca/Routes/index.jsp.City-operated child care centres and Children's Services district offices will be closed on Monday. Toronto Home Child Care Agency providers will offer service as usual.All Toronto Public Library branches will be closed on Family Day. Archival Services at 255 Spadina Rd. will also be closed on Monday.Some community recreation centres will be closed on Family Day. Residents can find the list of open centres online at http://www.toronto.ca/familyday or call their local centre ahead of time to check its schedule.