By Tammy Toor
I’m so glad that the holiday season occurs when the days are darker and often stormy. Not only does it give me something to look forward to, but the holidays reconnect us with family, friends and our community.
It’s a particularly busy season with the City of Nanaimo’s Parks, Recreation and Environment department. To help you get the most of your holiday season and for ways to connect with your community, here are some things happening this month. We’d love to see you there.
Special holiday programs – If you have an elementary school child, your child should soon be receiving our ‘Winter Wonders’ flyer full of holiday programs and special events to keep you and your family active during the Christmas break. If you don’t get one, check out our website under the ‘What’s New’ tab for a copy. It includes a two-for-one public admission coupon.
Winter Wonderland – From Dec. 26-30, Frank Crane Arena will be transformed into a winter carnival theme with public skating sessions costing only $1 (some are even free).This is a great activity for the whole family. Come and see why this annual event has become so popular with the community.
Finale 2015 – The city’s biggest and best family New Year’s Eve party takes place at Beban Park with a 1950s rock ‘n’ roll theme. We will have two countdowns – one at 8 p.m. and another at 10 p.m. Tickets are only $32 for a family of five or $10 individually. Enjoy an evening of live entertainment with The Big Mess, Ian Johnstone and The Purple Pirate, as well as roving entertainment happening throughout the evening. You can swim, skate, make crafts, get your face painted, have your picture taken in our photo booth and much more. I can’t think of a better way to bring in 2016 with the entire family.
Still looking for that perfect gift? How about a Parks, Recreation and Environment gift card? They can be used for program registrations, drop-in admissions, facility rentals and more. They come in denominations of $20, $50 or $100 and are reloadable. This holiday season, buy a gift card of $20 or morefor your chance to win a $50 gift card. Contest ends Dec. 24.
From all of us here at Parks, Recreation and Environment, we wish you and your family the best of the holiday season and a happy, active, healthy new year.
Tammy Toor is a communications specialist with Nanaimo Parks, Recreation and Environment.