In this article:
Down on the Farm
Tree Lighting Ceremonies
Time for Nature
Holiday History
O Christmas Tree

Why not escape the frantic pace of the commercial holiday season for a day or two and experience the simple joys of Christmas in the country side with your family? The crunch of snow beneath your feet and snow flakes falling on your mittens, enjoying shortbread cookies or picking out your holiday tree –will all seem sweeter without a retail store, a jam-packed parking lot or an Interac machine in sight!

Many will agree there’s something magical about being away from the city for a while at Christmas time. And, despite the often-frigid temperatures, many enjoy the physical landscape as a way to celebrate the season.

Down on the Farm

For the Elliott/Cropper Family of Burlington, no Christmas is complete without at least one trip to Springridge Farm in Milton, where they enjoy pony and wagon rides, outdoor playtime in the giant sandbox and snow-covered cornfields and mazes. “Our four children have been the inspiration behind our efforts to establish as many holiday traditions as we can – both indoors and out – as we believe the memories of the times we spend together are more meaningful than any gift we could give --– or receive – at this time of year,” says mom, Jennifer Elliott.

Here are a few family-friendly farms to visit:

November 12 and 13, and every weekend until December 24, 10 am to 4: 30 pm. Christmas Open House with Santa at Springridge Farm – Kids paint a glass ball ornament and make, bake and decorate a gingerbread man. $3 per child, per craft. Free pony rides. Wagon rides and farm tours: $2 per person. Visit the Tricky Trail Corn Labyrinth and enjoy the chickens, sheep, bunnies, peacocks and more in the farm yard for free. Pre-cut Christmas trees arrive mid-November. Springridge Farm, 7256 Bell School Line, just west of Milton, 905-878-4908, springridgefarm.com

November 12 to December 31, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Christmas Remembered at Black Creek Pioneer Village – Step back in time to the magic of a Victorian country Christmas. Festive demonstrations and hands-on activities include homemade presents, decorations and tasty treats. A, $11; S/St., $10; C five to 15 $7. 1,000 Murray Ross Pkwy. 416-736-1733 or visit blackcreek.ca

November 19 to December 24 (weekends), 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Christmas at McCully’s Farm – Experience the old-fashioned country feel of a working family farm. Also enjoy horse-drawn hayrides (sleigh rides, when weather permits), a nativity with live farm animals, hot drinks and snacks. Farm store sells McCully’s maple syrup, candy and homemade preserves, etc. $5 per person; children under 2: free. McCully’s Hill Farm, R. R. #2, St. Mary’s, 1-866-622-8559, mccullys.ca

Saturdays and Sundays; November 19 to December 18, December 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24; 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ChristmasTown Mountsberg – Visit ChristmasTown on a horse-drawn sleigh, make tree decorations and crafts, sip hot chocolate in the Elves’ Workshop, then have a personal visit with Santa and Mrs. Claus in the country cabin. Advance tickets required. A, $12; C five to 15 $8; Preschoolers: free. Mountsberg Wildlife Centre, on Millborough Line, between Guelph Line and Hwy. 6, 905-854-2276.

Tree Lighting Ceremonies

Since 1999, Autumn and Case Timmerman of Rockwood, and their three children, have enjoyed a unique outdoor country Christmas event – the Rockwood Farmer’s Annual Santa Claus Parade of Lights. “Babies, children and adults are all bundled, grinning from ear to ear, anticipating the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus on their tractor and seeing all the farm machinery decked out in hundreds of lights and decorations,” says Autumn.

Why not venture out into the frosty air and enjoy a parade, a tree lighting or even some carolling:

Friday, November 18, 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony at Brampton City Hall – Free for all ages. $10 carriage rides. Brampton City Hall, 2 Wellington St. W., Brampton, 905-874-3956.

Friday, November 25, 6:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Markham Village Festival of Lights – Main Street North, Village of Markham (Markham Road or Highway 48, north of Highway 7), 905-472-2462.

Thursday, December 8, 7 p.m. Rockwood Farmer’s Annual Santa Claus Parade of Lights – See the blending of old and current farming practices, with the “parade floats” being antique and modern tractors and equipment, as well as all the things you’d expect to see in a Santa Claus Parade. And, Santa and Mrs. Claus ride their combine for the grand finale! Free for all ages. Rockwood Farmer’s Annual Santa Claus Parade of Lights, Fifth Line (Country Road 27 or Main Street), Rockwood, 519-856-4496 or visit http://rkde.com/rockwoodparade/index.html

Monday, December 12, 7 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Unionville Olde Tyme Christmas Parade – Free for all ages. Main Street, Unionville, 905-477-0117.

Many towns hold an annual holiday parade, so do some sleuthing to get the details: ask a neighbour, watch for flyers or visit the town’s website.

Time for Nature

For others, the joys of getting out of the city involve strenuous physical activity–hiking, skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing. Talisman Mountain Resort, located near Kimberley, Ontario, and Bayview Wildwood Resort, 90 minutes north of Toronto, close to Orillia, provide plenty of scope for getting back to nature.

Talisman is located on 350 acres in the Beaver Valley – a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The resort offers a variety of holiday packages. Horse-drawn hayrides, caroling in the fireside lounge, traditional Christmas dinner, downhill and cross-country skiing and snowshoeing are a few of the treats available to hotel guests. Bayview Wildwood’s winter getaways feature cross-country skiing, ice-skating, snowshoeing and snowmobile tours. The resort also offers guided snowshoe hikes, winter campfires and horse drawn sleigh or wagon rides at certain times.

Talisman Mountain Resort, 150 Talisman Mountain Drive, Kimberley. Call 1-800-265-3759 or visit talisman.ca

Bayview Wildwood Resort, 1500 Port Stanton Parkway, R.R.1, Severn Bridge, Ontario, P0E 1N0. Call (705) 689-2338, 1-800-461-0243 or go to www.portstanton.com and click on Bayview Wildwood.

For other resorts visit ontariotravel.net or resorts-ontario.com

Want to blaze some trails of your own? Visit http://canadatrails.ca/index.html for an online directory of trail sports for each region in Canada. Here are a few outdoor venues to get you going:

Bruce Trail. Open 24 hours a day, all year – Call Bruce Trail Association at 1-800-665-HIKE (4453).

Bronte Creek Provincial Park. Open all year – Bronte Creek Provincial Park, 1219 Burloak Dr., Oakville, 905-827-6911.

Holiday History

For many, the beauty of escaping the city’s harried pace means a step back in time. Kenneth J. Heaman, curator of Whitehern Historic House & Garden in Hamilton, says of historic house museums, “There is something appealing for both children and grandparents.” Rick Sikorski, Black Creek Pioneer Village’s marketing manager, concurs. “Some are reminded of home, while others want to learn more about Victorian traditions of the past and Canadian history.” He says it’s all “about connecting or reconnecting” at this time of year.

Katrina Pyke, volunteer and program co-ordinator of Pickering Museum Village, believes these venues offer a chance to appreciate the simple beauties of the holiday season, as the settlers celebrated them. We all know that “the holidays were simpler and life was harder then, but the simplicity of each child receiving one homemade gift from mother, a piece of candy and a small gift from Santa speaks to many of us. The joy those few things brought any pioneer child is a lesson for all to remember today,” says Pyke.

Many heritage sites are teeming with visitors during the holidays “because they harken to a time where people believed the concepts of family, togetherness and charity were pure and strong,” says Robert Winninger, program officer of Westfield Heritage Village in Rockton. “Sights, sounds and smells were special, simple and appealing. An out-door, living history, 3D experience at a museum – and in a conservation area – can really put the visitor in touch with this Christmas feeling.”

Here are some historic museums and heritage sites to get you in the holiday spirit:

Tuesday, November 15 to Sunday, January 7, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., closed Mondays. The McQuestens’ Childhood Christmas at Whitehern Historic House & Garden – Enjoy this seasonal event as the McQuestens look back on their childhood Christmases, featuring Victorian toys and decorations contrasted with treats and music from the 1930s. A, $5; S, $4; C 5 and older, $3, 3 and under, free; Family, $15. Whitehern Historic House & Garden, 41 Jackson St. W., Hamilton, 905-546-2018 or visit http:// hamilton.ca/culture-and-rec/MUSEUMS/whitehern/default.asp

Friday, December 2, 5:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Olde Fashioned Christmas and Festival of Lights at Georgina Pioneer Village – A brass band, carolling, a bonfire, roasting chestnuts, hot apple cider, face painting and tree decorating are all part of this19th-century-feel event, along with the contemporary Festival of Lights (from 8 p.m.). $1 per person. Georgina Pioneer Village, 26557 Civic Centre Road, Keswick, 905-476-4305.

Saturdays: December 3, 10, 17, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. ’Twas the Night Before Christmas at Westfield Heritage Village – Families will enjoy travelling through Yuletide traditions from the 1790s to 1920 in a living history village. Local musicians and choirs, food samples, horse and wagon rides, a visit with Father Christmas and fireworks are featured. A gift shop, a charity bake sale and light meals also on site. A, $12.50; C 6 to 12, $6.50; C five and under are free. Westfield Heritage Village, Regional Road 552, off Hwy 8, Rockton, 1-800-883-0104 or visit westfieldheritage.ca/Christmas.htm

Sundays: December 4 and 11, 12 noon to 3:30 p.m. Winterfest Christmas in the Village at Pickering Museum Village – Visit the Pickering Museum Village as its fictional characters prepare for seasonal celebrations of Scottish Hogmanay, Welsh traditions and a Victorian Christmas. Horse-drawn wagon rides and carollers round out the festivities. A, $5; S/S, $4; C, $3. Pickering Museum Village, 3 km east of Brock Road on Hwy 7, Pickering, 905-683-8401.

O Christmas Tree

And, finally, for many, this feel-good time of year is synonymous with a trip out of Toronto, to the favourite family tree farm. “There is nothing like walking through the fields of lush green trees on a cold, snowy day and finally choosing, all together, the perfect tree that will grace your home over the holidays. It is a memory that children and parents keep for life,” says Diane Horton of Horton Tree Farms. “Families who are so rushed during the rest of the year enjoy taking the time to keep this tradition alive and are getting back to the ‘basics’ of the holiday season.”A word or two about tree selection this year: Horton says Christmas trees need a growth cycle of 10 to 14 years before they are ready to be harvested. Also some trees are more popular than others, meaning fewer numbers of those popular trees while the new crops are growing. Finally, “the heat waves in both 2002 and 2003, and the dry spells that accompanied these, put stress on the trees and slowed their growth. But, they are recovering now,” Horton says. John Hughes, owner of Springridge Farm, agrees: “If you have a very dry summer growing season, some varieties of Christmas trees will have more challenges keeping their needles, such as spruces and pines.”

Want the scent of fresh evergreen in your home? A visit to these tree farms will do the trick:

November 26 to December 24, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Drysdale Tree Farms – With more than 200,000 trees on 480 acres, this is cut-your-own Christmas tree heaven! Free weekend activities: Santa visit, face painters, magician, horse-drawn wagon rides, farm maze, town crier and musical groups. Visit their Evergreen Store: a retail Christmas store (Canada’s largest) that’s open all year. Drysdale Tree Farms Limited, 6635 Simcoe Road 56, Egbert, 705-424-9719, drysdales.ca

November 26 to December 24 (weekends), 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Horton Tree Farms – one of the first Christmas tree farms in Ontario. Free snacks and drinks in the old farm kitchen. 5924 Slater Road, mile south of Aurora Road, just west off Warden Avenue. Horton Tree Farms, 905-888-1738, hortontreefarms.com

Magic Hill: 100-acre century farm with more than 60,000 trees. Kids enjoy visits with Santa and his elves, playground maze, candy canes and more. 13953 9th Line, just north of Bloomington Road, north of Stouffville.

Kennedy Farm: 20 acres of secluded rolling plantation. 15899 Kennedy Road and St. John’s Sideroad, just east of Aurora.

So, with hundreds of activities in the mega city and surrounding areas, from baking cookies to riding in a horse-drawn sleigh, there’s something sure to make every spirit bright! And, don’t miss our December calendar, for even more festive events and activities to make this holiday season the best ever.