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| Huntsville's Main Street becomes a winter wonderland! |
This has been a winter like no other, or at least it feels that way.
Lots of snow and lots of cold interspersed with some “warm” spells (which don’t
last long – Mother Nature isn’t shy about letting us know who’s in charge). And
so what else can we do but celebrate winter while it lasts? Fortunately, we
have some help with that – it’s Winter Carnival time again!
The fun kicks off this weekend in Port Sydney, continues with the new
Winter Comedy Carnival in Huntsville, and wraps up at the end of February with
Gravenhurst’s Winter Carnival.
January 22-26, 57th Annual Port Sydney Winter
Carnival: Enjoy tons of great food, including the popular Grand Marche, a
showcase of Muskoka restaurants. There are kids’ activities on the beach at
Mary Lake, both outside and in the giant igloo. Plus there’s music,
entertainment, face painting and more!
January 31-February 2, Huntsville
Winter Comedy Carnival: New this year! Inside, two of comedies finest –
Brent Butt and James Belushi – perform on Friday and Saturday nights. Outside,
Huntsville’s main street is transformed into a winter wonderland with a Nordic
course, ski and snowboard demos and live music. This is one carnival not to be
missed!
February 7-9, 47th Annual Port Carling Winterfest: The weekend is
chock full of entertainment including dancing, skating, wagon rides, kids’
activities, competitions and even a Polar Bear Dip.
February 14-15, 24th Annual Dorset Snowball Winter
Carnival: With tons of outdoor activities that take over the entire community, including
snow sculpting, food, and demonstrations, this carnival is worth the drive to
Dorset.
February 21-22, 44th Annual Dwight Winter Carnival: Just up the
highway from Colonial Bay, the Dwight Winter Carnival is a small but mighty
local favorite. They’re still planning events for this year, but in the past
we’ve been treated to a dance, demonstrations, dog sledding, mini-snowmobiles,
balloon rides and one of the best pie competitions around (and you can even buy
one to take home).
February 21-23, Gravenhurst
Winter Carnival: With past events like a demolition derby, polar
bear dip, glow in the dark skating, and bed races, we’re excited to see what the
Gravenhurst Winter Carnival has cooked up this year. You can bet they’ll be some
of the most interesting and entertaining winter carnival events around. Go to
their website for a full list of activities and events.
And don't forget that Muskoka plays host to the Ontario Winter Games this year from February 27-March 2!
It’s been a fantastic year for all outdoor winter activities - cross-country skiing and snowshoeing through Muskoka’s
forests and across its lakes (be sure to check ice conditions first!), snowmobiling,
skating and alpine skiing. The winter conditions are likely to last well into
March break this year. As always, we look forward to having you visit us at
Colonial Bay, no matter what time of year. You can view the availability of our
waterfront cottages here.
Stay warm out there!
The Howell Family
With the end of a long dreary winter we are excited to move into the next season. Things around Colonial Bay are beginning to green and seasonal life is returning. Geese are on the lawn (much to our disappointment!), more ducks are arriving daily, and minks and even a beaver are exploring in the water. Loon calls are also starting to break the silence on calm, quite mornings. 
Bruce has finished another season at Hidden Valley, our local ski hill, managing the ski school. Nicolle had a busy winter being the ‘support crew’ for Addie’s recreational ski racing. Luke and Ben are both home from Ottawa where they are in school. Everyone in the family is excited to take advantage of being in Muskoka for the summer. This includes taking part of daily activities around Colonial Bay. Particularly, reconnecting with guests at the campfire and watching kids enjoy the simplicity of splashing in the water. 
Our summer season is beginning to take shape. No major projects are being taken on this spring. However, annual painting, cleaning, and ‘touch-ups’ will revive the property and accommodation. For those that want to kick-start their Muskoka vacationing early, we are happy to share our May special! Book online and receive 30% off your stay anytime during May (excluding May 17-19). Simply add ‘Spring into Spring’ in the comments section when booking. 
