Good morning, In-the-Know Parents!

Thanksgiving is my favorite: warm sun, cool air, leaves like a rainbow, from soccer out back at my parents’ when I was a teen, to a wagon ride, a corn maze, pumpkin picking, and the animals at Chappell or Hewitt’s farms with my kids in more recent years. Whether you celebrate or not, I hope you get out, enjoy the beautiful fall weather, and spend the weekend with the people you love.

If you only do one thing this weekend: Saturday, October 10. The Barrie Fire takeover.

Friday Flicks: Dog Man — Friday October 9, 6:30–8:30pm — Painswick Branch, Massie Family Community Room — Free.  free   all ages 

Good to know: Runtime is 1h 29m.

Barrie Fire Takeover + Kids Workshop — Saturday October 10, 9am — Home Depot, 10 Barrie View Drive — Free.  free   all ages 

Barrie Farmers’ Market — Saturday October 10, 9am–1pm — City Hall, 70 Collier St.  all ages 

12th Annual Navratri Dhamaal — Saturday October 10, 6–11pm, doors 5:55pm — Shak’s World Community Centre — Prices vary.  all ages 

Good to know: Free parking. Tickets are limited.

ARC Public Skate — Sunday October 11, 11am–12:50pm — Allandale Recreation Centre — Prices vary.  all ages 

MacLaren Family Sundays: Coiled Trees — Sunday October 11, 1–2pm or 2:30–3:30pm — MacLaren Art Centre — $5, free for members (no HST).   $    all ages 

Good to know: Register on the day.

Chappell Farms Fall Festival — Daily through October 31, 10am–6pm, last admission 5pm — 617 Penetanguishene Rd — Weekdays $12, weekends $15, under 24 months free.   $$    all ages 

Good to know: One pick-your-own pumpkin included. Free event parking.

Barrie Halloween Haunts — All of October — Residents’ homes, see the map — Mostly free; some ask for a charity donation.  all ages 

This is a long weekend. Monday, October 12 is a holiday but there’s still lots of fun to be had.

Monday is worth a look before you write it off.

Chappell Farms Fall Festival — Monday October 12, 10am–6pm, last admission 5pm — 617 Penetanguishene Rd — Weekday ticket $12. No separate holiday price.   $$    all ages 

Barrie Hill Farms — Monday October 12, 9am–5pm — 2935 Barrie Hill Rd, Springwater — $7 a person, ages 3 and up.   $    all ages 

Good to know: Live music, Mr B the Band, 10am–2pm.

Friday Harbour — Monday October 12 — 3999 Friday Drive, Innisfil.  all ages 

Gobble Gobble turkey scavenger hunt, 12–1pm (Free). Family Fun Tail Feather Tag, 1–2pm (Free). Lake Club Thanksgiving dinner features, 5–9pm (Prices vary).

Horseshoe Valley — Monday October 12, 10am–7pm — 1101 Horseshoe Valley Road West, Barrie.  all ages 

Good to know: Select slopeside activities. Fee at season rates.

Georgian College Drum Social — Saturday October 17, 4–8pm, doors 3pm — Barrie Campus gymnasium (J building) — Free.  free   all ages 

Good to know: Open to the public. Free parking. Only invited drum groups drum.

Barrie Pet Palooza — Sunday October 18, 10am–4pm — Bradford Greenhouses Garden Gallery, 4346 Highway 90, Springwater — $3 plus HST, under 12 free.   $    all ages 

Good to know: Free parking.

MacLaren Family Sundays — Galaxy Chalk on Sunday October 18, Spooktacular Snippets on Sunday October 25 — Same times and price as October 11.   $    all ages 

Good to know: Day-of registration, same as October 11.

Friday Flicks — The Bad Guys 2 (1h 44m) on Friday October 23, Hocus Pocus (1h 36m) on Friday October 30, 6:30–8:30pm — Painswick Branch — Free.  free   all ages 

Family Fright Fest — Saturday October 24, 3–9pm — Lampman Lane Park & Community Centre, 59 Lampman Lane — Free.  free   all ages 

Good to know: Sensory-friendly hour is 3–4pm. The costume contest needs no registration.

Barrie Accessible Halloween Village, 4th annual — Sunday October 25, 2–5:30pm, doors 1:50pm — Price not listed.  all ages 

Good to know: Each trick-or-treater needs a registered 20-minute timeslot. Parents and guardians don’t need a ticket. Free parking.

Barrie Farmers’ Market: Halloween and indoor opening day — Saturday October 31, 9am–1pm.  all ages 

Barrie Hill Farms Fall Festival — Weekends through October 31 — 2935 Barrie Hill Rd, Springwater — $7 a person, ages 3 and up.   $    all ages 

Good to know: Pumpkin picking runs through October 31.

Winter break registration is already open.

City of Barrie winter break camps — December 21, 22, 23, 28, 29 and 30, booked one day at a time, $35 a day.   $$    kids 

Good to know: Registration is open now. Full day is 8:30am–4pm at East Bayfield or Peggy Hill. Morning only is 8:30am–noon at Peggy Hill. Kinderfun is ages 4–5. Other day camps are ages 6–12.

Adapted Youth Sense Winter Break Camp — December 21–23 and December 28–30, 8:30am–4pm — Peggy Hill — $141 — Ages 13–20.   $$    teens 

Good to know: Both sessions are full. Waiting list only. Same registration link as above.

MacLaren winter camps — 9am–4pm — Ages 6–11 — $195, or $180 for members.  kids    $$  

Good to know: Winter Wonders is December 21–23. Snowy Creatures is December 28–30. Before care is 8:30–9am and after care is 4–4:30pm, extra $30.

City of Barrie drop-in programs  all ages 

Barrie Public Library events  all ages 

Barrie Farmers’ Market — Every Saturday, 9am–1pm, year-round — City Hall, 70 Collier Street  all ages 

Happy Thanksgiving, Barrie. Whether it’s a full table at the in-laws’ or takeout on the couch, I hope you get some time outside together this weekend.

Spot a wrong time or price? Tell me and I’ll fix it. 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 @ ActiveFam

PS. Monday leftovers taste better after a corn maze. Trust me on this one.

Tell us how we did. One tap is enough.