5 Getaways for this Weekend in Ontario: Second Weekend of April

Credit: Visit Port Hope

5 ideas for a spontaneous/last minute day trip or a weekend getaway for the second weekend of April in Ontario.

1. Float Your Fanny Down The Ganny

Visit Port Hope this weekend and cheer the participants of Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny. Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny is a 10km race along the Ganaraska River to commemorate the 1980 flood that devastated downtown area of Port Hope.

Are you brave enough to encounter the frigid waters of Ganaraska River, then register for the float race. You can join for canoe, kayak or play dress up (crazy craft) in the weirdest watercraft of your choice.

If you rather be a spectator, then enjoy entertainment village activities that include food trucks, live entertainment and of course watching the participants float over the last rapids section of the course.

39th Float Your Fanny Down the Ganny takes place on April 13, 2019 in Port Hope.

While you in the area, visit Dreamer’s Cafe located at 2 Queen St., Port Hope and get Crazy Cookies or yummy butter tarts!

If you can not visit this weekend, there are plenty of things you can do as summer arrives: Outdoor Adventures in Northumberland County.

2. Muskoka Spring Cleaning Weekend Retreat

Spring cleaning is not just for your house! Plan a trip alone or with friends to Patterson Kaye Resort for a spring cleaning getaway.

Reawaken and rejuvenate with healthy fresh-made meals, yoga and fitness classes, and time to connect with nature. The retreat is offered by MJ Shaw, a fitness, yoga and dance expert from Dynamic Fitness & Retreats.

The resort is located at 1360 Golden Beach Rd, Bracebridge (ph: (705) 645-4169).

If you cannot make it this weekend, they have various themed retreats round the year.

3. Oxford County Cheese Trail

Photo Credit: Oxford County

Speaking of food, what about a cheese tour where the 401 meets the 403?

Plan a weekend getaway to Oxford County and visit cheese makers, restaurants, local food producers, museums, artisans and boutiques and experience themed tour of cheese, dairy and related offerings.

Did you know that Oxford County produces the most milk in Ontario, more than 1.4 billion glasses?

It is not just cheese that you will enjoy, you can taste handcrafted decadent chocolates, delicious craft beer at Oxford County’s only craft brewery, and even buy a handcrafted Charcuterie board. If you have kids with you, you can visit farms, and historic sites for a bit of education.

If you want to make the weekend into a resort getaway, then you can stay at Elm Hurst Inn & Spa in Ingersoll. They offer special themed packages.

You can do this trip any weekend of the year.

If you want a cheese themed festival trip, then mark, April 27, 2019 on your calendar. The Annual Dairy Capital Cheese Fest is a one day interactive family event that will celebrate Woodstock and Oxford County’s recognition as the Dairy Capital of Canada. The festival happens at Oxford Auditorium, Woodstock. You can sample many artisanal offerings without travelling the countryside.

4. The Shaw Festival

Niagara-on-the-Lake’s theatre Festival inspired by the spirit of Bernard Shaw, kicked off last weekend. In 2019, The Shaw Festival presents The Horse and His Boy, Brigadoon, The Ladykillers, Man and Superman with Don Juan in Hell, Rope, Getting Married, The Russian Play, Cyrano de Bergerac, The Glass Menagerie, Sex, Victory and Holiday Inn.

This weekend you can watch a new adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s The Horse and His Boy, directed by Christine Brubaker and adapted by Governor General’s Award-nominee and playwright Anna Chatterton. Inspired by light box dioramas and video game graphics, designer Jennifer Goodman creates diverse mystical lands with equally varied costumes using a myriad of multicoloured hues and shapes, while the animals of Narnia are embellished with full headdresses, tails, horns and ears.

Plan a day at the theatres, and join for behind the scenes tour to enhance your festival experience.

We all know that the Niagara region is famous for its wines. Many culinary celebrations are held round the year. This weekend, you can join for one-of-a-kind and unique experiences that showcase the regions wines, and winemakers. Dig Our Roots takes place from April 12 to 14 at various wineries in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

Things to Do in Niagara-on-the-Lake.

5. Explore Markham

Credit: Joyride 150

Did you know that Canada’s largest indoor bike park is located in Markham, a city where the where the old and the new co-exist? With over 100,000 sq ft of riding fun, Joyride 150 bike park features beginner to expert sections, a foam pit, pump tracks, jump lines, a street plaza, resi jump, a vert park, outdoor dirt jumps, a cross country flow trail and much more!

Visit Historic Unionville for yummy food, explore its quaint streets, and see the latest exhibition at Varley Art Gallery. If you like to visit pioneer villages, then Markham Museum offers a unique family and educational experience and features over 20 historic buildings on 25 acres of parkland.