March Break, What to Do in Newmarket New Event Location

Old Poster same message..GAME on!

Having a dilemma about what to do during the March Break? How about taking a walk back in time for a day? Or if you're a teenager a week practicing road hockey until the Sat break ending tourney and event.

Like when I was a kid..in a simpler time, activities meant your mom yelling,  

  "Get out from Underneath my feet!" and you'd reply, " I'm not under your feet" and she'd say, "Get outside and play" and you'd be forced to create something to do. 

Depending on your age, friends, time of year and imagination, you may take a number of options into consideration - like building a snow fort or tree-house, maybe putting on a goofy play to music in a friends backyard or perhaps planning a neighbourhood fundraiser carnival or pick-up soccer or organizing a road hockey game. Sometimes kids would get even more anmbitious and form a team by knocking on friend's doors and seeing how many we could get, then challenging another street or neighbourhood to play.

That's the kind of spirit the annual Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road hockey Challenge has tried to harness over the past 10 years as we continue to offer youths 13-18 and now 6-12 some free road hockey tourney play as well as pick up for all ages and free hot chocolate and nourishment as well as a chance to compete against their peers - and in recent years added "pick-up" games for all ages.

2005 tourney right on the street!

For 2014 the event will take place at 395 Mulock Dr Newmarket Town Office parking Lot.

Winterfest Carnival in Newmarket

       WINTERFEST IN NEWMARKET 

 Well I had the bright idea of running a Friendly Neighbourhood Youth Road hockey Challenge booth at the Newmarket Winter Carnival, and so I guess you get what you wish for as it was most certainly a cold day! Brrrrrr!

How to fit two full nets in a van

Despite the deep freezer of a day which likely affected attendance - although I'd guesstimate a thousand people or so dared the weather- the event was a lot of fun with lots of freebies and deals too!

Wow! What's this?

The $1 Lions Club Pancake Breakfast is always popular whenever I've attended but after setting up the road hockey booth & ensuring our  food and drinks were on target, it was already 10:45 a.m. with pancake service only to 11, so I hustled over but alas..too late. Sniff.

Can I play?

No matter, I managed to snag some free chili from the Rotary Club! Mmm..Then I took some

Yes, of course! Games on!

as well as some pizza slices to Ashleigh & Jeff and Jason who were die-harding outside at the road

Mmmmmaple candy made on the spot!

 hockey challenge booth. It was so cold I decided to forgo any Don Cherry-like outfits and rants and just concentrate on promoting the road hockey event to anyone interested.

Deli House Catering  who we had come in to serve up our outdoor fare to the public showed up with the hot food and hot chocolate in the nick of time and we scurried to get everything in place. Pickles literally froze on the condiments table and as well had to put up with an overzealous health inspector who

Looks suspiciously like the wood carver! Ha

stood by in the sub zero temperatures checking temperatures of the hot dogs and burgers before they could be served....and of course he just had to come when we'd just gotten a rush of people!Doh! I wonder if the girl guides serving pizza got this kind of scrutiny! Yikes! But they got through it and despite no winter gloves for the cook who was placing his hands directly on the cover of the b.b.q. to keep warm, pumped out some goods although power to keep the hot chocolate hot seemed an issue at one point - nevertheless a fun time for all was had.

The attendees were mostly families - not too many youths but some, and the ones who came played  shinny and signed up as well, so it was a win win all day! Plus we used up leftover xmas presents including books, hats, stuffed animals and cd read-alongs donated as prizes making the day fun for all - including some surprised but happy parents.

It's cold but bear with it!

 One girl of about 12 was reluctant to play but after her brother did and came back with a prize I told her all she had to do was participate and she'd get one too. Well she stepped up and went through all the obstacles scoring the 1st try and as I yelled "scores!" a big smile came to her face and I said, " Okay grab your ball and take it ti Ashleigh at the table and pick out a prize!

Who's next! Prize every time you participate!" I yelled to no one in particular as the atmosphere and the cold seemed to merge, creating a peaceful existence with the elements and as the sounds of laughing and a woodcarvers chainsaw filled the air I left the reigns to my cohorts and wandered about.

Orb!

The carving was way cool as was the making of some kind of maple candy in snow troughs, but the orb was a bit of a disappointment. Orb you say? What's that you say? Well I thought it was something like a ball one could run around in on snow but ..perhaps...it needed ....snow!!!


At any rate from the live onstage/ice entertainment to the displays and participation type events to the food and wintry themed booths the Newmarket Winter Carnival had a little bit of wintry something for everyone it seemed!

TP

Jeff and Ashleigh