The Town of Collingwood's parks, recreation and culture department has put together a list of outdoor and at home activities for residents to enjoy.
Last year the town started the Art of Winter Festival to celebrate the snowy season with outdoor activities at Central Park. This year with COVID-19 related restrictions in place, staff planned a list of physical-distancing friendly activities to fill the festival bill.
The Art of Winter festival runs Dec. 21 to Feb. 21. Residents can download a "passport" which includes a list of 40 self-directed activities that can be done at any pace.
“To encourage residents to stay active and creative outdoors, even in the winter months, while still supporting all current public health recommendations, this Art of Winter Festival is being hosted over an 8-week period at multiple outdoor locations and is designed to be done on your own time, with your own household”, said Karen Cubitt, the town's manager of culture and events. “Our intention is to make this a local festival and to discourage physical gatherings typically associated with special events by spreading people out over time and distance.”
The activities are split into five themes.
Under acts of random kindness, the town suggests leaving a kind note or sending a handwritten letter.
For multi-generational fun, activity recommendations range from building a snow creature at Central Park to inventing a new winter sport in your backyard.
There are several activities based on reflection and contemplation including a walk at the labyrinth, identifying local trees, building a birdfeeder and trying out snow painting.
There are also ideas for physical activity such as taking a winter walk and playing winter bingo.
Finally, there are culture and history activities like following a Collingwood historic walk, following and reading the winter story walk on the trail behind the museum, and borrowing a library book (as long as the library is open).
Cubitt told CollingwoodToday in an email the activities were designed with grey/lockdown health and safety protocols in mind. Even if the region, or possibly the province, enters lockdown, most of the passport activities will still be available with adaptations for those connected to the library or museum. In those cases, curbside pickup of items could be arranged.
The following information is from the town's news release on the 2020/21 Art of Winter Festival:
Passports can be downloaded on the event website or picked up at the following locations.
Downtown at:
- Town Hall (97 Hurontario Street)
- The Collingwood Museum (45 St. Paul Street)
- The Collingwood Public Library (55 Ste. Marie Street)
Or at these additional Activity Hubs:
- Awen’ Gathering Place & Arboretum (north end of Cedar or Hickory Streets)
- Harbourview Park East (north end of Birch Street)
- Central Park (85 Paterson Street)
The Town of Collingwood discourages travelling outside of your community at this time.
