The CIRCUS is coming...

...to Children’s Festival

So, I know summer is almost over when we get into August. Children’s Festival weekend helps to mark the end of summer at The Waterfront at Downtown Burlington August 17 and 18. Don’t miss your chance to squeeze in as much fun as possible with your family!

We’ve definitely got a fun weekend planned starting on Saturday, August 18 at 10 a.m. on The Beachway. The event runs until 6 p.m. so it’s going to be a jam packed day of surf, sand and circus themed fun!

You won’t see me competing in the sand sculpting competition but I love watching everyone work on their creations! If you can sculpt sand, it sure looks like fun in the sun and the prizes are great: First prize in each of the 4 categories is a gorgeous hand crafted sandcastle trophy and some of the other prizes include a tablet, an iPod nano, great toys like a scooter, awesome beach gear, and Tim Hortons gift cards. Be sure to preregister for the competition if you can. Categories available are child, youth, family and adult. We do add some additional spots during set up but they do fill up quickly and are first come first serve starting at 9 a.m.

I can never get enough of watching the professional sand sculptors carve their masterpieces. They definitely know how to bring a pile of sand to life! This year, we will have four award winning sculptors to watch: Sandi Castle Stirling of Hamilton, Nick Blandin of Guelph, Sharon Nesbitt of Listowel, and Raymond Poirier of Hamilton. See what they think of the competitors’ sculptors: They are also our judges. And you can vote for your favourite creation too by filling out a ballot for The People’s Choice Award (only ballot one per person please!).

There should be lots of fun to juggle all day with face painting, jugglers, marketplace, food trucks and water activities! And new this year, is the movie on the beach at 8 p.m. We’re showing Madagascar 3 where Alex and friends join – what else? – the circus!

The fun continues circus style on Sunday, August 18 in Spencer Smith Park. K-Lite’s Aiko will emcee (don’t you just love her?) all the great activities and entertainment planned for Sunday. Highlights include Zacada Circus School Performances and workshops, Nick's Juggling Family Performances and Circus Jonathan Performances. Look for the photo booth to dress up and commemorate your day and bring your camera to capture the Character Meet & Greet with Puss in Boots.

There’ll be lots of great activities, including bouncers, face painting, roaming entertainment, food trucks, and if it’s hot, bring your bathing suit and cool off in the Dofasco Water Jet Plaza or just visit the play ground in the park.

After all the fun is done, tell us what you thought by taking our survey available on our web page.

Check out www.burlington.ca/childrensfest, follow us on Twitter @BurlEvents or call our hotline at 905-335-7766. Otherwise, we’ll see you at the circus!

CircusBurlEventGurl

Movies Under the Stars...plus a chance to win the Best Seat in the House ( = park)

Movies Under the Stars Blog

Hard to believe, but we’re past Canada Day and into the second week of summer already! The weather hasn’t been the best, but we’re a hardy outdoor bunch, aren’t we?

What’s a little unsettled weather when you can enjoy a free movie in the great outdoors! Every Thursday night from July 11 through August 15 (rain date will be the Aug. 22), Tim Hortons presents Movies Under the Stars. This outdoor movie series is open to everyone and not only do we have great movies lined up again this summer, but Tim Hortons is also offering a chance for you to win The Best Seats in the House! So, how do you win these coveted seats, you ask? Well, let me tell you:

1. Follow @Burl_ParksRec or @BurlEvents on Twitter (if you’re not already...).
2. Watch for our tweet/retweet announcing the Tim Hortons store where the Golden Ticket is for that week’s movie
3. Go to this Tim Hortons and ask for the Golden Ticket. If you’re the first one there, the Golden Ticket will be yours
4. Go to that week’s Movies Under the Stars and present your Golden Ticket to the Burlington Events Staff (look for our rad van – we’re usually close by...)  and you will enjoy The Best Seats in the House (which is actually the best seat in the park for the movie, but you knew that right!?). Your seating for the evening includes:

·         Reserved front row seats

·         4 chairs for you & your family/group

·         4 blankets to use & take home

·         Pillows… because who doesn’t love to get cozy while watching a movie?!

·         and a cooler filled with drinks & snacks to devour and/or take home

So, what movies are we showing you ask, and are they any good? Take a look at our line up:

Thursday, July 11 –Hotel Transylvania at Nelson Park

This animated feature offers a twist on the age old belief that humans are afraid of monsters. Dracula (voiced by Adam Sandler) operates a hotel so monsters can get away from the everyday stresses of dealing with humans. This feel good movie offers a teenaged heroine (Selina Gomez) wanting to explore the outside world, an over protective dad who doesn’t want her to and a surprise love interest (Andy Samburg).

Thursday, July 18 –Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Dog Days at Kiwanis Park

I recently saw Diary of a Wimpy Kid – Rodrick Rules with our resident movie critic (12 year old Zac). He loves these books (note: he’s more of a video game guy than a bookworm) and thought the movie was a good representation. High praise coming from him. Anyway, in this lastest Wimpy movie, Greg has big plans for an awesome summer, which if you know Greg, of course don’t pan out and hilarity ensues! I’ve heard that the young actors who play Greg and Roderick do a great job and that Steve Zahn as their dad is a riot as he reacts to all their shenanigans.

Thursday, July 25 – Alvin and the Chipmunks- Chipwrecked  at Optimist Park

The Chipmunks and Chippettes are back and in trouble again, of course...Poor Dave just wants to relax on a Cruise but Alvin has other plans. See what happens when they find themselves overboard and washed ashore on a deserted island, which might not be so deserted after all. Some funny references – see if you notice the spoof on Cast Away.

Thursday, August 1 – The Croods at Emerson Park

So, The Croods are just your average family except they’re the first “civilized” family ever. Their home is destroyed and they need to find a new one. Amazing voice cast including Nicolas Cage, Emma Stone, and Ryan Reynolds . Some have said this is even educational since there are prehistorical references that are pretty accurate. And it must have done well at the box office as a sequel has been announced for 2017!

Thursday, August 8 – Oz the Great and Powerful at Lowville Park

If you loved the original Wizard of Oz movie, reunite with the characters in the fantastical prequel from Disney. Oscar (Oz for short) is played by James Franco who starts out as lowly magician. His adventure takes him to Oz where he meets three witches, played by Mila Kunis, Rachel Weisz, and Michelle Williams. At over two hours, and with some parts that may be too scary for young ones, I recommend this for older children with a good attention span!

Thursday, August 15 – Despicable Me at Mohawk Park

I’m not quite sure what this says about me, but this is one of my all time favourite family movies! Steve Carell heads up an all star cast of voice talent and is hilarious as Gru. An evil villain losing his place in the world of evil villains, Gru decides to adopt three adorable little girls to help him with his evil plan. What could go wrong with his plan and the backing of his adorable band of yellow minions. My only question is, where can I get a minion of my own!

Be sure to grab a chair and a blanket and check the web site or call the Burlington Events hotline at 905-335-7766 for information before heading out to any of these movies. They are weather dependant so will be cancelled in case of rain. A rain date is planned for August 22 at Burloak Park to show the movie that got rained out.

See you at the Movies Under the Stars!

BurlEventGurl

I AM Canadian...

I AM Canadian
and other reasons why you can proudly celebrate Canada Day in Burlington

Canada truly is a great country and it’s fascinating to think about how we are perceived around the world. So, you and I know that we don’t live in igloos (but that would be nice and cool if it didn’t melt in this heat wave) all have pet moose we play hockey with or say “Eh?” after every sentence. But we also know that there are many great reasons to celebrate our great country on her 146^th birthday.

The Burlington Canada Day Committee has been working for almost a year to plan an amazing day to help you celebrate what it means to you to live in this great country, not to mention city (did you hear that Money Sense declared Burlington as the #1 Canadian mid-size city to live in!?). Here’s what you can look forward to on July 1 in Spencer Smith Park:

Exercise your right to celebrate

Before the Canada Day Celebrations officially start at noon, you can get a run in with Green Germann Sakran Canada Day 5K put on by VRPro. The run starts at 8:30 a.m. behind the Waterfront Hotel and goes along our beautiful waterfront. Get a good stretch in with a free yoga class at 9:30 a.m. with Beth Rutty Yoga in the west end of the park.

Pledge to have fun

This year the Citizenship Court will be held at 9:30 a.m. in the Gazebo. Congratulate 40 new Canadian Citizens as they receive their citizenship on Canada Day. I can’t think of a better day to become a Canadian, can you?

Make it official

The event starts at noon with the official ceremony at 1 p.m. Now perhaps by the time the event rolls around I’m just tired but seeing the Burlington Teen Tour Band perform always chokes me up! Not to mention hearing Charissa Pavlou lead the crowd in the singing of O Canada. That girl sure can sing! MP Mike Wallace, MP Jane McKenna, Chair Gary Carr and Mayor Rick Goldring will bring greetings.

Let’s get this party started

So, personally, I think the best place to celebrate Canada Day is from the Canadiana Viewing Tent. If you purchase your tickets in advance, $20 gets you a catered meal from Niche Catering, who’s created the Canadian roast beef sandwich:

Firecracker shaved roast beef beef sandwich on 7' hoagy bun, with rosemary au jus, caramelized onions, cremini mushrooms, roasted garlic, topped with smoked Gouda cheese.

Or if you’re not a carnivore, there’s a veggie sandwich too:

Grilled vegetable medley of sweet peppers, mushroom, onions, zucchini, Swiss chard, in Basil pesto with toasted sunflower seeds, on hoagy bun topped with three cheese shred. Hmmm, suddenly I’m quite hungry! They’re also serving watermelon and we’ve got snacks and a choice of two drinks: soft drinks, water, wine or Nickelbrook beer.

If that wasn’t enough value for your money, you get in and out privileges to seating that offers shaded areas and great views of the main stage and the lake (both water ski shows and the fireworks will be in front of the Canadiana Viewing Area). And most importantly, upgraded washroom trailers so you don’t have to use the porta-potties.

Did I mention that children are only $10 and can choose a kids’ meal and hang out with the family?

Last year we sold out but if we still have tickets on Monday, they’re $25 at the gate for adults. Kids are still $10.

We are family

Everyone is welcome and there really is something for all ages. Check out the marketplace for some great shopping, the activity providers to keep busy and the food court for sustenance. There’s fun on the East Lawn (behind the Waterfront Hotel) with bouncers, a monster mural, crafts and the Community Stage featuring Canadian talent Ivy James, Lesley Pike, and Burlington’s own Beautiful Nothing.

Be amazed by the Scholars in Collars agility dogs beside the Gazebo at 1:30 and 3:30 p.m. and check out the tricks on Lake Ontario during SWS Water Ski shows at 2:30 and 5:30 p.m.

Do a little dance

The main stage will have a fantastic line up of free music by original Canadian artists this year. Our headliner is Hawksley Workman. They hit the stage at 3 p.m. We’ve also got local favourites Charissa Pavlou on at 2 p.m., Melissa Bel at 4:30 p.m. and Lesley Pike at 6 p.m. Steve Wilkinson of The Wilkinsons fame will perform at 7 p.m. The grand finale will be provided by Symphony on the Bay at 9 p.m.

Out with a bang

We’re pretty excited to launch our fireworks presentation from the new Brant Street Pier this year at 10 p.m. Symphony on the Bay will accompany the fireworks with their rendition of 1812 Overture.

If you’re able to celebrate with us, have fun, keep cool and take some photos and send them to me, eh?

BurlEventGurl
follow me on Twitter: @BurlEvents



Children’s Festival goes WILD!

So, it’s been a tropically hot summer. I almost feel like I’ve moved to the rain forest and I have a feeling it will really feel like that during this year’s Children’s Festival weekend at The Waterfront at Downtown Burlington on August 18^th and 19^th.

We’ve definitely got a wild weekend starting on Saturday, August 18^th at 10am on The Beachway. The event runs until 4pm so it’s going to be a jam packed day of surf, sand and jungle themed fun!

Personally, I can’t make sand look like anything except a pile of sand but if you have a sculptor in you waiting to come out, the competition looks like tons of fun and we always have really great prizes! First prize in each of the 4 categories is a gorgeous hand crafted sandcastle trophy  and some of the other prizes include an iPod dock, an iPod nano, great water toys like a body board and floating pool lounger, and Tim Hortons gift cards. Be sure to preregister for the competition if you can. Categories available are child, youth, family and adult. We do add some additional spots during set up but they do fill up quickly and they are first come first serve starting at 9am.

I love watching the professional sand sculptors carve their masterpieces. What they can do with a pile of sand is outstanding! This year, we will have four award winning sculptors to watch: Sandi Castle Stirling of Hamilton, Nick Blandin of Guelph, Sharon Nesbitt of Listowel, and Tanya Kastl of Kitchener. See what they think of the competitors’ sculptors: They are also our judges. And you can vote for your favourite creation too by filling out a ballot for The People’s Choice Award (only ballot one per person please!).

It should be a wildly fun day with reptiles from Safari Science, musical performances by The Beach Party Boys, face painting and balloon animals. I think I’ll try to walk on water with What A Ball and then see if I’m any good at Stand Up Paddle Boarding with SUP LIFE!

The fun continues jungle style on Sunday, August 19th in Spencer Smith Park. If you like jungle animals, this is the place to be! Connect with the creatures from Safari Science and the cats from Jungle Cat World! Or if you’d prefer to keep your distance from live creatures, perhaps Alex the Lion from Madagascar or Jungle Jack’s puppets and balloon animals are more your speed? We’ve booked Mystic Drumz to do a great stage show and drum circles you can join! Be sure to bring your inner California Girl (or Boy) and dance to the Katy Perry Tribute act. I know I’ll be asking for both Katy and Alex the Lion’s autographs during the meet and greets at the Gazebo!

Remember to come in your wildest costume for our Jungle Promenade Parade! Come as your favourite jungle creature, whether that’s an animal, an explorer or a character from your favourite jungle themed movie, like Madagascar or Tarzan! We’ll have prizes for best costumes, group/family costumes, most creative and most enthusiastic parade participant. Or bring your bathing suit and cool off in the Dofasco Water Jet Plaza or the awesome Waterslide Bouncer.

Since it’s summer, stay up late and watch Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa on the big screen outdoors on the West Lawn. Bring your own seating, blankets and snacks or grab something from one of our vendors or inside Discovery Landing at The Bite! The movie starts at 8:30 pm.

After all the fun is done, tell us what you thought by taking our survey available on our web page.

Check out www.burlington.ca/childrensfest, or the event invite on facebook: Day 1 and Day 2 for complete details.

JungleBurlEventGurl

Tim Hortons presents Movies Under the Stars

Movies Under the Stars Blog

You know, I have to say that I absolutely love summer...the hot sunny days, the warm balmy nights; it’s great! But for those of you that may be trying to entertain kids on a budget, sometimes it can be challenging to fend off another course of the “I’m BOOOORRRREEED” blues!

Well, get ready for some relief! Every Thursday night from July 12 through August 16, Tim Hortons presents Movies Under the Stars. This outdoor movie series is open to everyone and the best part? It’s free!

Thursday, July 12 – Puss in Boots at Nelson Park

If you love Antonio Banderas’ interpretation of Puss in Boots in the 4 Shrek movies, you will love his starring role in Puss in Boots. In the same style of Shrek, traditional fairy tales and characters are given a unique spin for an adventure the whole family will love. And to prove you’re never too old for cartoons or fairy tales, this is one of my husband’s favourite movies.

Thursday, July 19 – Big Miracle at Kiwanis Park
Due to the rain, this movie is cancelled tonight. It will be shown on Thursday, August 23 at Mohawk Park

While I haven’t seen this movie myself, I am looking forward to taking my family to see Big Miracle. Based on a true story from 1988, a reporter (played by John Krasinski, who you may know from The Office) and an environmental volunteer (played by Drew Barrymore), band together to free 3 whales trapped beneath the ice in the Arctic Circle. This has been touted to be a feel good movie, that’s great family entertainment, especially for older kids.

Thursday, July 26 – The Muppets at Optimist Park

The Muppets are back on the big screen after a 12 year hiatus. A star studded cast (Jason Segel, who you may know from How I Met Your Mother), Amy Adams, and Jack Black, try to help Kermit the Frog reunite with his Muppets friends. They must raise $10 million to save their old theatre from Tex Richman (played by Chris Cooper) who wants to demolish the theatre to drill for oil. A great family movie, this is one to see if you loved the Muppets as a child or are a newer Muppet fan. True to the tradition of the Muppets, be sure to watch for tons of cameos with stars playing themselves!

Thursday, August 2 – Toy Story 3 at Emerson Park

In my opinion, Toy Story 3 is definitely an example of 3 times’s a charm. Don’t get me wrong, I love all the Toy Story movies (and can probably quote more lines from each one than a grown up should be able to...) but Toy Story 3 is one of my favourites. In fact, it’s a favourite with everyone at our house! All your favourite characters, Woody, Buzz, and the gang are back for another adventure. This time, Andy is all grown up and getting ready to go to college. His toys are supposed to be stored in the attic, but instead end up at Sunnyside Daycare for an adventure they’ll never forget. This is a great movie for all ages with adventure, excitement and the voice talents of Michael Keaton and Timothy Dalton joining Tim Allen and another favourite of mine, Tom Hanks.

Thursday, August 9 – The Lorax at Lowville Park

I plan to make the drive up to Lowville Park to catch The Lorax, again. I took my kids to see this over the winter holidays when it was in theatres and absolutely loved it. True to Dr. Seuss, it has fun, original characters, and a lesson to be learned. Even though the movie is based on the 1972 book, the environmental message still rings true today. Great voice talent (Zac Efron, Taylor Swift, Danny Devito, and Betty White to name only a few) make this a fun movie for all!

Thursday, August 16 – We Bought A Zoo at Burloak Park

We Bought A Zoo is the holiday smash brought to life by director/writer/producer Cameron Crowe (Jerry McGuire). Inspired by a true story, Matt Damon plays a recently widowed dad, Benjamin Mee, who buys a rundown zoo in an attempt to make a fresh start with his family. Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church round out the cast as the head zoo keeper and Mee’s brother respectively. This is a great story that both adults and older children will love. Some say that the animal ‘actors’ outshine the human talent in this comedy-drama file. Because this movie deals with grief, and how it affects Mee’s children as well (aged 7 & 14), it is best suited to children aged 7 and up.

Be sure to grab a chair and a blanket and check the web site or call the Burlington Events hotline at 905-335-7766 for information before heading out to any of these movies. They are weather dependant so will be cancelled in case of rain. A rain date is planned for August 23^rd at Mohawk Park to show the movie that got rained out.

See you at the Movies Under the Stars!

BurlEventGurl