Family Day is an Alberta-made holiday that is celebrated on the third Monday of February. Originating in Alberta,  it was first observed in 1990 and went on to become an official holiday in 1994. The idea for the holiday was proposed by Alberta's then-premier, Don Getty, as a way to give families a break during the long winter months and to emphasize the importance of spending time with loved ones.  This long weekend is the perfect time between New Year's and Easter to take a break and get together with loved ones to do something fun! There are many exciting activities to do on this day with your family, here are a few great ideas:

• Go ice skating: Take advantage of the cold winter weather and go ice skating at one of the many outdoor rinks in Calgary, such as Olympic Plaza, Bowness, North Glenmore park or your nearby neighborhood rink. If you want to skate indoors, take advantage of the free skate at city rinks from 1-2 pm or head to the Olympic Oval for a fun family dance skating party with a DJ.

• Visit a museum: Calgary has several great museums, including the National Music Centre, this is one of my favourites and on Family Day it’ll be Free. There’s also the Hangar Flight museum for your airplane lovers and the TELUS Spark Science Centre for your budding Scienti.s.. Some Alberta Heritage sites will have free admission so it’s best to check that out before you go. Spend the day exploring and learning something new with your family.
• Attend a winter festival: Many winter festivals take place in Calgary during the Family Day long weekend, such as YYC Hot Chocolate Fest, Edgemont Frost Fest, the University District Central Commons Winter pop-up or check out the Bow Habitat Fishtival. These festivals offer fun activities, food, and entertainment for the whole family.
  
• Go tobogganing, skiingcross-countryuntry skiing: Head to a nearby hill for some fun in the snow. There are many great hills around Calgary for tobogganing or skiing, such as Canada Olympic Park or Confederation Park.
• Take a winter hike: Take advantage of the mild weather while we have it and enjoy the beautiful winter scenery by taking a hike at one of Calgary's many parks, such as Weaslehead, Baker park, Nose Hill Park or Fish Creek Provincial Park.
• Visit the Calgary Zoo: Spend the day at the Zoo, which is home to over 1,000 animals from around the world. The zoo offers fun and educational experiences for the whole family. You can spend the entire day going in and out of the various buildings offering a ton of great things to check out.
• Enjoy indoor activities: If the weather is too cold, there are many indoor activities in Calgary to enjoy, such as bowling, laser tag, or indoor playgrounds like Flying Squirrel and the Rec Room.

No matter what you choose to do on Family Day, spending quality time with your family is what's most important and has always been the premise of this holiday. So go out and find your fellow family members whether it be your parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, kids, pets, or friends, and make a plan to hang out with them this weekend and reconnect.  

Connecting you to Calgary & family day fun,
---Claire