The Gravenhurst Winter Carnival takes place this Family Day weekend with an exciting free hybrid format combining virtual events and outdoor activities.
The event kicks off Thursday with the popular ‘Ignite Gravenhurst’ speaker series, featuring 20 fast and fun presentations (and live music), livestreamed from the Muskoka Bay Resort. The Oar Restaurant hosts Sean Cotton on Friday night for an evening of Muskoka-inspired music which will also be livestreamed on the Winter Carnival Facebook page. Young people can check out the ‘Youth Virtual Meet-up’ and ‘Among Us’ hosted by the Gravenhurst Youth Council on Saturday. Online trivia fans will be excited to test their knowledge in the ‘Great Gravenhurst Winter Trivia Game’, hosted by Adam Crockett of Big Dumb Face Trivia.
There are also lots of family-focused outdoor activities taking place all weekend long. Build your own “Snow-kie” (a Skokie snowman!) at home, or head to Gull Lake Rotary Park to see the snow sculptures. Take part in the Great Skokie Trail Hunt by exploring our beautiful parks and trails while you hunt for Skokie. The Gravenhurst Public Library is also hosting a Story Walk – start at the library and read a new page at each location. Muskoka Bay Resort will be offering free trail passes to Carnival-goers and free ice time on Friday and Saturday. You can try out snowshoeing, skating, cross-county skis, or back country skis. Please check their website for times and details. Looking to dive into the history of our wonderful Town? Take a self-guided walking tour courtesy of the Gravenhurst Municipal Heritage Committee. Get involved in all the fun activities and you could win super prizes. You might even spot Skokie this weekend!
A big ‘thank you’ to the generous sponsors of this year’s event who have provided great prizes for participants, including Gravenhurst Dollars! The Winter Carnival Committee would also like to thank the Gravenhurst BIA, Sharp Electronics of Canada, Muskoka Bay Resort, Robinson Haulage and Armored Concrete for their contributions to these community events, and a special thank you to Ontario Power Generation and TC Energy for grant funding.
The Gravenhurst Winter Carnival is organized by the Winter Carnival Committee, a Committee of Council of the Town of Gravenhurst led by hardworking volunteers in the community. The 2022 Carnival was planned with hybrid events to ensure that it could move forward safely, despite the uncertainty of ongoing pandemic restrictions. The Committee hopes to bring back all your favourite carnival events next year.