Celebrate both Sports and Culture in Burlington

The week of September 24-30 is a busy one across Canada and here in Burlington as we are celebrating both National Sports Day and Culture Days. 

In Burlington we are so fortunate to have a thriving sports and cultural community which has helped establish our city as the 2^nd best place to live and raise kids in Canada. 

Sports Week and National Sports Day

Sports Day in Canada held on Saturday, September 29, 2012 is a national celebration of sport, from grassroots to high-performance levels, in communities across the country. Sports Day in Canada is presented by CBC Sports, ParticipACTION and True Sport and is guided by a committee of national sporting organizations and their networks of coaches, athletes and enthusiasts across the country. It’s an opportunity for all Canadians to celebrate the power of sport to build community, fortify our national spirit and facilitate healthy, active living.

The Burlington Sport Alliance (BSA) has planned a week full of activities to promote sport participation.  They kicked off the week by hosting a Time Out Sport Networking luncheon on Monday Sept. 24 where they had two inspiring guest speakers.  Dr. Greg Wells was a CTV 2012 Olympic Commentator, Superbodies Segments – scientist & extreme human physiologist,  and author of Superbodies – Peak Performance Secrets from the World’s Best Athletes.  Kerry Goulet  was a former pro hockey player, and is founder of stopconcussions.com – an educational website to raise awareness of the impact of concussions on youth and co-author with former NHL player Keith Primeau of Concussed.  I enjoyed the tips and messages from both speakers and picked up the book on concussions for my husband and son who are minor hockey coaches.  Also this week Kicks For Kids will be having an Open House on Wednesday Sept. 26th, 2012 from 6 – 8 p.m. 

Tansley Woods Pool

The BSA is encouraging everyone to wear their sport jackets, or  jerseys to work or school on Friday Sept 28..... celebrating NATIONAL JERSEY DAY.  Let’s make Burlington an even more sport conscience, active city.  Then on Saturday a number of activities are happening to celebrate National Sports Day.  Opening ceremonies will take place in the lobby of Tansley Woods Community Centre at 12:45 p.m. will be followed by a variety of "try-it" activities and sport exhibits for the community to participate in.  Bring the family out to try a new sport or play an old favourite for free.  Learn about the wide range of sport programs and services available in our own community. Leisure swimming at Tansley Woods and skating sessions at Mainway Arena will be open to the public free of charge.

Sports Day Itinerary - September 29th

·         Burlington Sport Hall of Fame – unveiling 10 a.m. 414 Locust St.

·         Mayor’s walk (Mainway Arena to Tansley Woods Community Centre): 12:00 – 12:45 pm

·         Opening Ceremony (Tansley Woods Community Centre): 12:45 – 1:00 pm

·         Tansley Foyer and Community Room 1/2: 12:00 – 5:00 pm
Tansley Double Gym: 1:00 – 2:30, 4:00 – 5:00 pm
Tansley Pool: 1:30 – 6:00pm

·         Tansley Baseball Diamond: 12:00 – 5:00 pm
Tansley Soccer Field: 12:00 – 5:00 pm
Mainway Ice pad A: 1:00 – 4:00 pm

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Culture Days

Whatever your passion or curiosity, indulge it during Culture Days, Canada’s annual country-wide celebration of arts and culture, returning this fall for it’s third edition from Friday, September 28 – Sunday, September 30, 2012.

Culture Days will be celebrated in hundreds of cities and towns from coast to coast to coast, with thousands of free activities from a wide range of disciplines including: visual arts, music, dance, theatre, architecture, heritage, film and video, literature, culinary arts and new media.  1.2 million Canadians participated in over 6,000 activities spanning over 800 communities during Culture Days 2011. The momentum continues to build in year three and participation in Culture Days 2012 is anticipated to surpass last year’s.

In Burlington the major cultural groups have come together to promote a number of cultural activities including:

• ·         ZimSculpt –The award-winning Zimbabwean stone sculpture exhibit, ZimSculpt, returns to Royal Botanical Gardens on Friday Sept. 28
• ·         Human Library at Central Library on Saturday Sept. 29 – 11 incredible stories – one unforgettable day.  talk with living books! Select from one of our human 'books'—local people with very interesting stories to tell—for a short loan period at the library. We'll have 'books' for both children and adults
• ·         Tottering Biped at Burlington Art Centre on Saturday Sept. 29 - a community-arts based Earth Day celebration that focuses on community unity, environmental education and cultural exchange.
• ·         Applefest Fall Fair at Ireland House on Sunday Sept. 30 - Have fun with the Fall Harvest Obstacle Course and Games, Pony Rides (12-3pm), Junior Farmer Competitions and Games, Fair-Style Activities, Historic Cooking and Horticultural society arrangements.  There will be animal exhibits and special farm displays! Check out the Trifles & Treasures Bazaar
• ·         Culture Days at The Burlington Performing Arts centre on Sunday Sept. 30 - Music of Elton John, Frankie Valli and Whitney Houston. Buskers, clowns and more
• ·         War of 1812-14 Commemoration plus find Hidden Gems scavenger hunt, and other fun activities at Tourism Burlington all weekend
• ·         Burlington Art Centre Exhibits and Demonstrations all weekend plus Reid Flock and David Thai: Neo Modernism: Burlington Art Centre - 1:30 p.m.

Get out this weekend and enjoy the many free activities organized by local cultural organizations.  For more information visit burlington.ca/culturedays.

TourBurlGrl

Fall Fun in Burlington, Ontario

As we head into September and beyond, children are back to school and the days grow cooler but that doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t still be having fun!  Burlington is nestled along the Niagara Escarpment where the fall colours offer the perfect backdrop to many outdoor activities and events.  If you need some ideas and inspiration keep reading as we explore fall in Burlington/Halton.

With the extremely hot temperatures this summer, many apple farmers’ were concerned about their crops but that doesn’t mean you can’t get farm fresh apples at our local farmers’ markets, on-farm markets or if you fancy, you can visit one of the many pick your own farms located in the region.  For my family a trip to the apple orchards is a yearly tradition.  We scout for the best trees/fruit and then fill our bags with delicious juicy apples.  Even young children can join in the fun, last year my one-year old had a blast grabbing low hanging fruit and of course there is always the satisfaction of getting to bite into something you picked yourself.  For a complete list of farms and markets visit Halton Region, Simple Local webpage.

There is no better time to get outdoor than the fall, the leaves begin to change and you don’t have to worry about heat alerts.  With miles (kilometers just sounds odd doesn’t it) of hiking and biking trails both in urban and rural areas there is something for every level of outdoor enthusiast.  The parks of Conservation Halton offer ample opportunities to explore nature with trails at all six parks, rock-climbing at Rattlesnake Point and for families with kids consider Crawford Lake with its 15^th century reconstructed Iroquoian Village or Mountsberg’s Raptor Centre.  The weekends of Oct 6-8 and 13-14 Conservation Halton parks celebrate the landscapes and colours of the Niagara Escarpment with a wide range of activities at their Fall into Nature event. 

Another great location for hitting the trails is Bronte Creek Provincial Park located on the border of Burlington.  If you are an angler you can fish in Bronte Creek for Bass, Perch and more.  Kids will enjoy the children’s playbarn for climbing, jumping and having fun followed by a visit with the barnyard animals.  If you are still keen to camp, Bronte Creek’s camping season runs to October 22 and for a spookacular experience join them on October 20th for Camper Halloween.

The trails of the Royal Botanical Gardens are a nature lover’s paradise.  Bird watchers can find over 250 species across the season and for those with a more floral inclination, the September wildflowers are in bloom.  If you would prefer a guided walk join the RBG for Back to Nature walks every Sunday until the end of the year.  Of course we would be remise if we didn’t mention Zimsculpt, a collection of hand-carved sculptures created by artists from Zimbabwe nestled in the gardens.  Read all about it here.

One of the annual rites of nature is the salmon spawning in Bronte Creek at Lowville Park.  It’s hard to believe that these Chinook salmon migrate upstream in our own backyard, it’s something really cool to see and the park is lovely for a walk/hike and picnic.   Check out this YouTube video with underwater footage following the salmon run in Lake Ontario tributaries, then head out to see it in person.

If you are looking to get out in the country and do some early holiday shopping consider a visit to the Fall Farm Craft Show at Country Heritage Park running Sept 15/16.  There will be hundreds of juried vendors and with a $6 admission price it’s a bargain for those looking for a unique gift or something special for themselves.

For families there is no better way to spend a day on the farm then heading to Springridge Farm for their annual Harvest Festival.  The festival runs weekends from September  22 until October 28 and includes lots of great activities, wagon rides, access to the fun farm yard and so much more.  To get all the details visit their website.  Foodies, get excited as Springridge presents celebrity chef and author Michael Smith on Saturday September 22 for an author meet and greet and book signing.  I can tell you, I’ve been to these events at Springridge and they are awesome!  Plus, they are free to attend you just need to RSVP before it fills up.

Whatever your passion or curiosity, indulge it during Culture Days, Canada’s annual country-wide celebration of arts and culture running September 28 to September 30.  In Burlington the major cultural groups have come together to promote a number of cultural activities including:

• ZimSculpt at RBG on Friday Sept. 28
• Human Library at Central Library on Saturday Sept. 29 where you can “borrow” a living book for 30 minutes.  This is one of the most intriguing ideas I’ve ever seen and I can’t wait to try this.
• Tottering Biped at Burlington Art Centre on Saturday Sept. 29 co-hosts the “Procession of the Species”, a community-arts based Earth Day celebration that focuses on community unity, environmental education and cultural exchange
• Applefest Fall Fair at Ireland House on Sunday Sept. 30.  An old-fashioned country fair right in the city, including activities, entertainment, and more.
• Culture Days at The Burlington Performing Arts centre on Sunday Sept. 30 complete with tours, activities and of course performing arts.
• War of 1812-14 Commemoration at Tourism Burlington all weekend
• Burlington Art Centre Exhibits and Demonstrations all weekend

Of course there are always new events popping up and we have lots of other great ideas for those wondering what to see and do in Burlington.  Drop by our visitor centre daily from 9am-4pm or visit us online any time.

Now get that sweater and start exploring!