Photo: Row of Pumpkins, Barrie (Chris McBrien), Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0
In this issue: Sign-Up Radar · PA Day & school break tracker · This weekend · Halloween · Coming up · Ongoing · A new name starting Thursday
Good morning, In-the-Know Parents.
It's a proud parent week around here. My son is getting an award for his academic performance last year, and my daughter's volleyball coach called to ask if she'd be team captain. When you're in the trenches, you wonder if you're doing any of this right, and then little wins like these come along to remind you they're going to be fine. Can you relate?
I'm also happy to share an upcoming change to the newsletter (you might have seen a preview in an email I sent out on Monday). You'll find the details below.
If you only do one thing: pick your Family Fright Fest hour for Saturday, October 24: 3–4pm no-boo (sensory-friendly), 4–5pm a little spooky, or 5–9pm full scare.
Be the one in the group chat who knew first. Copy this and share it:
The City of Barrie is hosting Family Fright Fest on Saturday, October 24 at Lampman Lane Park & Community Centre, 59 Lampman Lane. It's free. 3 to 4pm is a sensory-friendly no-boo hour, 4 to 5pm is a little spooky, and 5 to 9pm is full scare. (I read it on FYIFam)
Sign-Up Radar
Sign-ups to put in your calendar now, closing soonest first.
🍭 Barrie Accessible Halloween Village — Oatley Vigmond, 151 Ferris Lane, Barrie — Sun Oct 25, from 2pm. Sold out; waitlist on Eventbrite. free all ages
Good to know: Free parking.
🎃 'Haunted Hangout' Youth Holiday Party — PHTCC Young People's Centre, 171 Mapleton Ave, Barrie — Friday, October 30, 4:30–7:30pm — ages 11–20 free
Good to know: Registration required; spots are limited. It's for youth of all abilities, in a sensory-aware space with a 5:1 participant-to-staff ratio, and costumes are welcome. Register on play.barrie.ca, search #136543.
🏃 Spooky Strides Fun Run: The Sequel (Happy Strides Run Club) — Arboretum Sunnidale Park, 265 Sunnidale Road, Barrie — Saturday, October 31, 11am–1pm — free all ages
Good to know: Grab a ticket on Eventbrite first. Doors open at 10:45am.
🏊 City of Barrie Halloween swim/skate passes — on sale until Saturday, October 31 — 50 cents each $ ages 14 and under
Good to know: Buy in person until Oct 31 or while quantities last, at Allandale Recreation Centre, East Bayfield Community Centre, Peggy Hill Team Community Centre, City Hall or Parkview Community Centre. Redeem Nov 1 to Feb 28.
⚽ Barrie Sports Dome winter soccer — Barrie Sports Dome, 99 Hanmer St. E., Barrie — Registration open now; the winter session runs January to April/May — Price varies. ages 2–17
Good to know: Intro-to-soccer starts at age 2, and Sports Dome runs adult leagues too, so mom and dad can play.
PA Day & school break tracker
🏫 No PA day for SCDSB or SMCDSB this week or next. Their next one is Fri Nov 20.
🏫 Mon Oct 26 — PA day — French boards Viamonde and MonAvenir, elementary and secondary.
This weekend
🎨 MacLaren Family Sundays: Spooktacular Snippets — MacLaren Art Centre (PIE Education Centre), 37 Mulcaster Street, Barrie — Sunday, October 25, 1–2pm or 2:30–3:30pm — $5 $ all ages
Good to know: Free for members. Sign up that day at the front desk, first-come. Max 25 per workshop, adults included.
🎃 Barrie Hill Farms Fall Festival Weekends and pumpkin pick-your-own — Barrie Hill Farms, 2935 Barrie Hill Rd., Springwater — Saturday, October 24 and Sunday, October 25; live music Saturday 11am–2pm and Sunday 10am–2pm — $7 weekends, $5/person weekdays $ all ages
Good to know: 3 and under free. Pumpkins are $4–7. Open daily through Saturday, October 31, with live music Sat Oct 31, 10am–2pm. Check Farmer Morris' Daily Updates before you go to see what's open for picking.
Halloween
Four Halloween plans, from Friday's drive-in movie to Halloween day itself.
Scare levels come from what each organizer says: 👻 no-boo, 👻 👻 a little spooky, 👻 👻 👻 full scare.
The full list of 19 Barrie-area Halloween events is in the FYIFam Halloween Guide 2026.
🎃 Family Fright Fest 2026 — Lampman Lane Park & Community Centre (indoor/outdoor), 59 Lampman Lane, Barrie — Saturday, October 24, 3–9pm — free all ages 3–4pm 👻 no-boo (sensory-friendly), 4–5pm 👻 👻 a little spooky, 5–9pm 👻 👻 👻 full scare
Good to know: 3–4pm is a sensory-friendly hour (lights on, no scary costumes). 4–5pm is for tiny trick-or-treaters, and it gets scarier after 5pm. Face painting, carnival games, balloons, vendors and food trucks cost extra.
🎬 Haunted Halloween Drive-In Movie Night: The Nightmare Before Christmas — Tanger Outlets Cookstown, east parking lot near Entrance 3, 3311 Simcoe 89, Cookstown, Innisfil — Friday, October 23, movie at 7:30pm — free all ages 👻 👻 a little spooky
Good to know: Watch from your vehicle, so bring blankets and warm clothing. An optional $10 breast cancer donation gets you a gift card and popcorn.
🍬 Trick or Treat at Park Place — The Village Courtyard, Park Place, 100 Mapleview Dr East, Barrie — Saturday, October 31, 11am–2pm. all ages
Good to know: Pick up a passport and map at the Park Place tents across from the fountain. Drop completed passports in the Village Courtyard drop box by 2pm for a prize draw. Hot dogs for a $2 donation to YouthReach.
🦇 Holly-ween (Barrie Public Library) — BPL Holly Branch, 555 Essa Road, Barrie — Saturday, October 31, 2:30–3:30pm. all ages 👻 👻 a little spooky
Good to know: Program materials are limited; spots are first-come, first-served.
Map of local haunted yards: 2026 Barrie Halloween Haunts.
Coming up
🎮 Teen Takeover (Barrie Public Library) — BPL Downtown Branch, Massie Family Community Room, 60 Worsley Street, Barrie — Mondays, 3–6pm, next on Monday, October 26. ages 13–17
Good to know: No parents, no little kids. Video games, Creative Spaces, art, a scavenger hunt and free pizza.
🌙 Bedtime Tales (Barrie Public Library) — BPL Holly Branch, 555 Essa Road, Barrie — Wednesday, October 28, 7–7:30pm. under 5
Good to know: An evening storytime, held on the fourth Wednesday of the month.
A new name starting Thursday
After this issue, ActiveFam becomes FYIFam. The switch happens Thursday, October 22.
I'm so happy to share our new name. FYIFam is here to help all of us, me included, stay on top of family plans. When you pass along an event, a program or a PA day plan to another parent, you're saying FYI.
When my kids were younger, I only survived the camp and sports sign-ups because a fellow parent sent me all the FYIs. I'm still grateful to her, and now I get to do the same for you.
Starting Thursday, replies go to [email protected].
FYIFam: Family plans for In-the-Know Parents.
Already subscribed? You're a founding FYIFam reader. 🥰 Forward this to a friend so they can join before Thursday and be one too.
One last thing before I go: the next two weeks are full of Halloween fun, so enjoy this spooky season with your family.
Forward this to the parent you want to run into at Fright Fest.
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.
What's your family's Halloween plan this year: trick-or-treating, a party, or a cozy night in? Reply and tell me.
See you out there,
— Shelley @ ActiveFam
PS. Our Halloween decorations are finally up! They're nothing like the amazing displays some of my neighbours have, but we're officially in the Halloween spirit.
