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In this issue: Sign-Up Radar · PA Day & school break tracker · This week · Coming up · Book ahead · Top 5

Hey, In-the-Know Parents,

Hope you and your family had a wonderful Halloween weekend. Halloween looked different at our house this year. My teens skipped trick-or-treating for friends' houses (one costume between the two of them, and not much candy to show for it). I handed out candy, watched a movie and did the pickup run.

On Sunday we went to the Innisfil Pumpkin Walk for the first time, and it was wonderful. Congrats to the organizers. I hope those pumpkins go on to feed some farm animals.

Now that Halloween's over, it's time to start thinking about the holidays, and this weekend's Barrie Christmas Arts & Crafts Show is a good place to begin. For the gray days, I've got five cheap and free indoor spots below.

If you only do one thing: pick your day for the Barrie Christmas Arts & Crafts Show at Sadlon Arena, because it runs Friday to Sunday only.

Be the one in the group chat who knew first. Copy this and share it:

Shelley's picks

Little kids: Rise & Shine Playtime

Teens: Barrie Colts OHL hockey

Free: Swapapalooza

 All ages   Preschool   Kids   Teens 
 free  (no cost)   $  (under $10)
 $$  ($10–$99)   $$$  ($100+)
 Out of town 

Sign-ups to put in your calendar now, closing soonest first.

⚽ Barrie Sports Dome winter soccer — Barrie Sports Dome, 99 Hanmer St E, Barrie — registration open now (it opened October 1) for the winter session, January to April/May — Prices vary. Ages 2–17.  Preschool   Kids   Teens 

Good to know: Intro to soccer for ages 2 and 3, and youth leagues for ages 4–17. Adult leagues too.

🎨 MacLaren "Winter Wonders" Winter Camp — MacLaren Art Centre, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie — Monday, December 21 to Wednesday, December 23, 9am–4pm — $195 — ages 6–11  Kids   $$$ 

Good to know: $180 for members. Registration open now.

🖍️ Kaleidoscoppe Winter Camp — Kaleidoscoppe, 11 King St, Barrie — Week 1 Monday to Wednesday, December 21–23, and Week 2 Monday to Wednesday, December 28–30, 9am–4pm — $285 per week — ages 4–10  Preschool   Kids   $$$ 

Good to know: $545 for both weeks, no HST. Extended care 8–9am and 4–5pm. Spots are limited. Registration open now.

🏕️ City of Barrie Winter Break Camp — Peggy Hill Team Community Centre, 171 Mapleton Ave, or East Bayfield, 80 Livingstone St E — Monday, December 21, 8:30am–4pm — $35 a day — ages 6–12  Kids   $$ 

Full sign-up list: more camps, classes and registrations are in the FYIFam Sign-Up Guide (free for subscribers: just enter your email).

🏫 Fri Nov 20 — PA day — SCDSB and SMCDSB, elementary and secondary.

🏫 Fri Nov 27 — PA day — Viamonde and MonAvenir only.

Reminder: Wed, Nov 11 (Remembrance Day) is a regular school day.

🧸 Rise & Shine Playtime (Barrie Public Library) — BPL Painswick Branch, 48 Dean Ave, Barrie (Wednesday); BPL Downtown Branch, 60 Worsley St, Barrie (Saturday) — Wednesday, November 4 and Saturday, November 7, 10–11am — under 5  Preschool   free 

Good to know: Babies over 6 months are welcome. Wednesday's Painswick session has its own event page.

🏒 Barrie Colts OHL hockey — Sadlon Arena, 555 Bayview Dr, Barrie — Wednesday, November 4, 6pm (vs Sudbury Wolves) and Saturday, November 14, 7:30pm (vs Brampton) — Starting at $32  All ages   $$ 

Good to know: Tonight, 6pm: That's a $27.50 ticket plus a $4.50 fee. Costco sometimes sells Colts bundles, so check your warehouse. Game schedule.

🎄 30th Barrie Christmas Arts & Crafts Show — Sadlon Arena, 555 Bayview Dr, Barrie — Friday, November 6, noon–8pm; Saturday, November 7, 9am–5pm; Sunday, November 8, 10am–4pm — Adults $12, seniors $10  All ages   $$ 

Good to know: Kids 12 and under get in free with an adult.

🎬 Friday Flicks (Barrie Public Library) — BPL Painswick Branch, 48 Dean Ave, Barrie — Friday, November 6, 6:30–8:30pm —  All ages   free 

Good to know: A family movie night.

🔄 Swapapalooza (Barrie Public Library) — BPL Downtown Branch (Gathering Place), 60 Worsley St, Barrie — Saturday, November 7, 2–4pm —  All ages   free 

Good to know: Bring up to 10 items to swap.

🖌️ MacLaren Family Sundays: Stringy Prints — MacLaren Art Centre, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie — Sunday, November 8, 1–2pm or 2:30–3:30pm — $5  All ages   $ 

Good to know: Free for members. Go early: sign up that day at the front desk, first-come, with 25 spots per session, adults included. All projects are subject to change.

📚 One free Saturday at BPL Downtown, 60 Worsley St: Rise & Shine Playtime 10–11am, then Swapapalooza 2–4pm.

🎮 Teen Takeover (Barrie Public Library) — BPL Downtown Branch, 60 Worsley St, Barrie — Monday, November 9 and Monday, November 16, 3–6pm — ages 13–17  Teens   free 

🕯️ Remembrance Day Vigil (City of Barrie) — Barrie Cenotaph in Memorial Square, 65 Dunlop St E, Barrie — Tuesday, November 10, 7pm–midnight, and Wednesday, November 11, 6–9am.  All ages 

Good to know: Stop by and see young cadets honouring the fallen, as Barrie's Air, Army, Sea and Navy League cadet corps stand vigil at the Cenotaph.

🎖️ Remembrance Day Parade & Ceremony (City of Barrie) — Barrie Cenotaph in Memorial Square, 65 Dunlop St E, Barrie — Wednesday, November 11, 10am —  All ages   free 

Good to know: The parade marches along Dunlop St E from Mulcaster St to the Cenotaph. Two minutes of silence at 11am. Dunlop St E is closed, with no street parking, from 6am to about 12:30pm.

🖌️ MacLaren Family Sundays: Spectral Mountains — MacLaren Art Centre, 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie — Sunday, November 15, 1–2pm or 2:30–3:30pm — $5  All ages   $ 

Good to know: Free for members. Go early: sign up that day at the front desk, first-come, with 25 spots per session, adults included. All projects are subject to change.

🎭 The SpongeBob Musical: Youth Edition (Kempenfelt Community Players) — Georgian Theatre, 1 Georgian Dr — Friday, November 20, 1pm and 7pm; Saturday, November 21, 2pm and 7pm; Sunday, November 22, 2pm — From $27  All ages   $$ 

Good to know: PA-day pick: the Friday, November 20, 1pm show lands on the PA day. More PA-day options are in the Sign-Up Guide. Youth cast ages 10–18. Prices checked for the Friday 1pm show: Adult $30, Student (13–19) and Child (1–12) $27, taxes and fees included. Show page: https://kempenfeltplayers.com/project/show-template-2025-2/

1. 🏊 City of Barrie drop-in programs — City recreation centres across Barrie — times vary  All ages 

What's the vibe? Pay-per-visit swims, skates and preschool drop-ins.

Best for: All ages.

The standout: Preschool drop-in is $2.40, and under 3 is free with a paying adult. Swim: child $4.30, youth $4.85, adult $5.95, family $18.20. Skate: child $2.40, youth $3.80, adult $5.10, family $11.05 (fees, effective June 1, 2026).

Free youth drop-ins, ages 11–17: Peggy Hill Team Community Centre, 171 Mapleton Ave, Mon and Thu 3:30–7:30pm and Sat 3:30–8:30pm; Lampman Lane Community Centre, 59 Lampman Lane, Mon–Wed 4–8pm.

2. 📚 Barrie Public Library — Downtown Branch, 60 Worsley St; Painswick Branch, 48 Dean Ave; Holly Branch, 555 Essa Rd, Barrie —  All ages   free 

What's the vibe? Free to walk in, with free programs like Rise & Shine Playtime and Teen Takeover.

Best for: All ages.

The standout: Downtown is open until 9pm Monday to Thursday, and Painswick until 9pm Tuesday to Friday. Each branch's hours are on its page.

3. 🖼️ MacLaren Art Centre — 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie — closed Mondays; Tuesday and Wednesday 10am–4pm, Thursday 10am–8pm, Friday to Sunday 10am–4pm — pay what you can  All ages 

What's the vibe? An art gallery with pay-what-you-can admission.

Best for: All ages.

The standout: Family Sundays art workshops, $5 (see This week and Coming up). Heads-up: the galleries are closed until Friday, November 6, and reopen Saturday, November 7.

4. 🤸 Smart Moves Play Place — 565 Bryne Dr, Barrie — Monday to Thursday 3:30–7:30pm, Friday and Saturday 9:30am–7pm, Sunday 9:30am–6pm — $9.99 + HST Monday to Thursday, $13.75 + HST Friday to Sunday (ages 12 months and up)  Preschool   Kids   $ 

What's the vibe? Indoor drop-in play with no time limit and no reservations. Socks only.

Best for: Ages 6 months–12 years.

The standout: One adult gets in free with each paying child. Under 12 months is $5.99 + HST, or free with a paying sibling.

5. 🏛️ Simcoe County Museum (Springwater) — 1151 Highway 26, Minesing, Springwater — daily 10am–4:30pm — child (4–11) $4, youth (12–20) $6, adult (21–64) $8, senior $6, ages 0–3 free  All ages   $   Out of town 

What's the vibe? A hands-on museum with low displays. Stroller friendly.

Best for: All ages.

The standout: Kids 4–11 get in for $4, and ages 0–3 are free.

That's your weekend sorted: the Barrie Christmas Arts & Crafts Show all weekend, plus five indoor spots for when it's grey and wet out.

What's your family's go-to when the weather turns?

Who needs a plan for the November 20 PA Day? Send them this.

Spot a wrong time or price? Tell me and I’ll fix it. This is my hand-picked short list, not every event in Barrie. In-the-Know Parents share what they find. Know an event or program I missed? Hit reply and tell me.

Next issue Wednesday.

See you out there,

— Shelley @ FYIFam

PS. That movie I watched on Halloween? Percy Jackson the TV show, season 2. I don't care what anybody says, it's just as good as Harry Potter. Heads-up for fellow fans: Season 3 of the series lands on Disney+ Fri Nov 20, the PA day. Couch plans, sorted. 😉

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