Mid-Winter Social: Experience winter
Join us for family-friendly activities from the past AND present!
QUICK LINKS
Quick link to event info and tickets
Test your Escape Room skills!
Mid-Winter Social event schedules
Have a Winterama button?
Musical guests
information
Artisan & vendor market
Join us on Family Day weekend 2024
About the Mid-Winter Social
Discovery Harbour celebrates winter by welcoming visitors to the historic site in tandem with the Town of Penetanguishene at their 76th Annual Winterama on February 17-19, 2024 from 11:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. daily.
All the activities (Saturday, Sunday and Monday – see below for specific times.)
- Jump on the tractor-pulled wagon ride
- Strap on snowshoes and stomp along the snowshoeing track*
- Explore historic Keating House and sample apple cider
- NEW THIS YEAR: Blacksmith Demonstration!
- Warm up with hot chocolate and a variety of snacks from the Snack Shack
- Visit local artisans and vendors in Garrison Hall
- Roast bannock over a roaring open fire
- Enjoy guided tours of the original establishment’s Officers’ Quarters and explore a 19th century soldiers’ encampment
- Explore the H.M.S. Tecumseth Centre and check out the real Tecumseth shipwreck and other museum displays
- Live musicians will sing your favourite songs on the outdoor stage
- Say hello to costumed characters! More info and details coming soon!
- Try to escape the Brig in our Escape Room Experience (additional charge)
*Some activities are weather dependent*
Good to know:
- Service animals only will be permitted at this special event
- The event will run in most types of weather (sun, rain, snow, ice)
- The event will take part almost entirely outdoors, please dress for conditions
Dates & times:
Saturday, February 17 – Monday, February 19
- The event runs 11:00am – 4:00pm daily
Mid-Winter Social tickets:
- Tickets are $12.00 per person (this includes HST)
- Kids 5 & under are FREE!
- Indigenous people are eligible for free admission with valid ID (escape room not included)
- Cash, credit & debit accepted
- Season pass holders get free admission (escape room sold separately)
- Reservations are not required. Walk up, walk in!
- Free parking is available at 93 Jury Drive
Come play at the Mid-Winter Social!
Please click each image below to see a larger version.
How to buy tickets
Tickets are available online (in advance and during the event) via the button below:
Tickets are also available to purchase on arrival, February 17, 18 & 19 at the Discovery Harbour admissions.
(Doors open at 11:00 am each of those days)
Save with a Winterama button!
Sponsored by the Town of Penetanguishene, all Winterama button holders receive a special discounted admission to Mid-Winter Social when buying their tickets at the door!
- Exclusive $10 admission for button holders (not valid for tickets purchased online)
- Free entry for kids 5 & under
- Offer is valid February 17-19
- Button holders should identify themselves to ticket booth staff upon arrival to activate this special deal
This discount is only available in person. Please show you Winterama button to ticket booth staff upon arrival and complete ticket purchase on-site.
- Shuttle bus to Discovery Harbour provided by the Town of Penetanguishene
- Please note Winterama buttons are not available for sale at Discovery Harbour
- Button holders who wish to book an Escape Room in advance should email Nathalie.Canto@Ontario.ca
- More info: Winterama.ca
Winterama buttons
Available to purchase from the Penetanguishene Town Hall, the Penetanguishene Centennial Museum & Archives and the Penetanguishene Town Library (additional sales locations will be added).
- Early Bird pricing $3.00
- Event Weekend pricing $5.00
- buttons are not required for kids age 3 & under
Shuttle bus schedule
(provided by the Town of Penetanguishene)
Saturday, Feb 17
10:00 – 12:00pm
1st Pick Up: 51 Dunlop Street
2nd Pick Up: 61 Maria Street
3rd Pick Up: Street Side on Robert Street By Peel St.
4th Pick Up: 13 Burke Street
5th Pick Up: Discovery Harbour
Bus Returns Following the Same Stops
Saturday, Feb 17
12:30pm – 5:00pm
(Last Run at 4:30 pm)
1st Pick Up: 51 Dunlop Street
2nd Pick Up: 61 Maria Street
3rd Pick Up: 8 Owen Street
4th Pick Up: 2 Main Street
5th Pick Up: 13 Burke Street
6th Pick Up: Discovery Harbour
Return Following the Same Stops
Sunday, Feb 18
11:00am – 5:00pm
(Last Run at 4:30 pm)
1st Pick Up: 51 Dunlop Street
2nd Pick Up: 61 Maria Street
3rd Pick Up: 17 Poyntz Street
4th Pick Up: 2 Main St Town Dock (Tourism Information Centre)
5th Pick Up: Discovery Harbour
Return Following the Same Stops
Monday, Feb 19
No Shuttle Running
Parking available at 93 Jury Drive
Schedule of events!
We’ve got a great line up of activities for you this Family Day Weekend.
Some activities are weather dependent – we will post on our social media channels if any changes occur.
FREE hot chocolate!
Join us on Saturday, February 17th to celebrate World Kindness Day!
Sponsored by Bayfield House Retirement Lodge and The Villa Retirement Lodge, the first 200 hot chocolates are FREE!
Delicious food!
We will have some great food options for the whole family at the Mid-Winter Social!
Patti Wagon Food Truck
Serving up a delicious range of family favourite, hot food options and sides!
Discovery Harbour’s Snow Shoe Cafe
Hot chocolate, snacks and more! Find us at the TEC centre!
Musical guests!
Musical guests will be on the outdoor stage at Garrison Hall from 11:30am – 3:30pm. Picnic tables and firepits will be available for visitors to sit and enjoy the performances. The artisan market is located in Garrison Hall. Washrooms are available here as well.
Vendor and artisan market
Located in Garrison Hall at the Mid-Winter Social, our Artisan and Vendor market is sure to have a little something for everyone!
Make your Family Day weekend epic:
book your Escape Room experience!
Running during the Mid-Winter Social: Experience Winter event is our captivating Escape Room experience.
Gather your team of 4-6 players and solve puzzles and challenges to escape!
You and your guests have run afoul of perhaps the toughest Bo’sun in His Majesty’s Royal Navy, Bo’sun Starkweather! Oh, he is a “Jack Nasty Face”, no doubt about it, and has a sense of humour as dark as the night sky. Which is why he has concocted a series of puzzles and challenges designed to frustrate, confuse and mislead you. Beat him at his game and you gain your freedom! Fail, and the black-souled Bo’sun may leave you in this dank, dark place for good! Look lively now! The clock is ticking. You and your mates are running out of time!
Experience our epic Escape Room!
Please click each image below to see a larger version.
Dates & times:
Saturday, February 17 – Monday, February 19
- Times 11:00am, 1:00pm, 3:00pm
- Reservations are required
Escape Room experience tickets:
- Tickets are $36.00 per person
- Includes HST and admission to the Mid-Winter Social event
- Cash, credit & debit accepted
- Season passes not valid for the escape room
- Passes & coupons can not be accepted for the Escape Room
Escape Room capacity:
- The Escape Room requires a minimum of 4 people to complete
- Bookings without the minimum number of people will be cancelled with no additional notice
Good to know:
- This experience is suitable for those 12 years and older
- You will need at least 4 players 16 years or older to successfully complete the challenges
- Teams will have up to 1 hour to escape from the Brig, using clues and solving puzzles
- As part of your experience, your team will be accompanied by the “Jail Guard”. They will offer you hints if you ask.
- Please arrive at least 15-20 minutes before the start of your experience to allow for parking and admission
While we love our furry friends, we are not able to accommodate pets at this special event (service dogs are welcomed of course). Thank you for your understanding.
- Please arrive 15-20 minutes early to allow time to allow for parking and admissions.
- Taking photos is encouraged.
- Smoking or vaping (including marijuana) is not permitted on Discovery Harbour property.
- Light snacks will be available for purchase from the Snack Shack.
- Please note this event takes place mostly outdoors and, visitors should plan to dress accordingly for weather and terrain.
93 Jury Drive, Penetanguishene, L9M 1G1
Parking info
Please park in the parking lot provided and make your way on foot through the black entrance gates to the boardwalk area and The Charthouse (Admissions building).
Need more info?
Please contact us at hhp@ontario.ca or (705) 549-8064 if you have any questions.
Discovery Harbour traces its roots back to the original British naval and military base in Penetanguishene, built to safeguard access to Upper Canada after the War of 1812.
“His Majesty’s Naval Establishment on Lake Huron”, (as it was first called) kept ships prepared to supply British posts to the northwest. By 1820, it was home to over 70 people, including sailors, officers, shipwrights, and soldiers. Five large ships, 15 smaller vessels, and numerous workshops and dwellings were built.
In 1828, a British garrison on Drummond Island was relocated to Penetanguishene. By 1834, Canada was defended exclusively by these forces. An impressive stone Officers’ Quarters was built in 1845. The military occupied the site until 1856.
Discovery Harbour is operated by Huronia Historical Parks, and is an Attraction of the Ministry of Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Culture Industries.
