Weekend need-to-know: Family Day roundup includes wintry fun and auto show

After what seemed like a never-ending January and the groundhogs welcoming February with their predictions for an early spring, the first long weekend of the year is upon us. There are several things to do in the city over the Family Day weekend, including winter art installations, the auto show, and more.

As you make your plans, scroll below for a list of ongoing road closures, and for what’s open and closed on Monday. Thankfully, there are no TTC subway closures this long weekend.

Events

Wintry fun at The Bentway

The return of wintry weather makes The Bentway the ideal spot for family fun on Family Day. Lace up your skates and glide along the the 220-metre figure-eight skating trail, as you soak in some energetic tunes. There will also be some snacks on-hand to try.

Stop by the Fort York Visitor Centre and add your own stamp to your skates by decorating your boot covers at a Bata Shoe Museum workshop. Supplies will provided until they run out.

This is the last day of The Bentway’s winter skating season. Click here for a schedule of free events, which run from noon to 9 p.m. on Monday.

Canadian International AutoShow

The auto show returns to the Metro Toronto Convention Centre from Feb. 16-25 with fun for car enthusiasts and the whole family.

Barbie mania hasn’t missed a beat and the auto show will be the place to see the Canadian debut of a life-sized version of the pink 1957 Chevy Corvette, inspired by the movie. The car will take centre stage as part of a display by Mattel, also featuring replicas of four iconic Hot Wheels toy cars.

For those starting up or adding to their Hot Wheels collection, a limited number of the die-cast cars will be given away during auto show. The exclusive 2024 Collector’s Edition Hot Wheels Nissan Silvia will also be available at the Toys ‘R’ Us pop-up shop with the purchase of $50 or more.

Fans of Formula One racing will be able to catch a full-sized show car of the World Championship-winning RB18 car driven by Max Verstappen in the 2022 Formula One World Championship.

Click here for ticket information. For those taking GO to the show, you can purchase a combo ticket that includes round trip fare on the day of admission.

Winter Stations

Giant art installations return to Woodbine Beach, and this year the event is marking 10 years.

This year’s theme is ‘Resonance,’ which organizers say “captures the echoes of our artistic legacy and the enduring impact of Winter Stations … the installations that have stirred our hearts, and the memories that have become part of our collective narrative.”

For this year’s competition, artists were asked to “recreate, reimagine and reinvent” the installations from years’ past. Seven winners were chosen, and their work will be on display along the beach starting on Family Day.

Fun at the ROM and AGO

Admission to the Royal Ontario Museum and all exhibits will be free for everyone on Monday, including the Wildlife Photographer of the Year exhibition. Activities for the kids, most of which will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., will include chemistry experiments and learning to be wildlife photographer.

Inspired by Black History Month, the Art Gallery of Ontario will feature guided tours of Caribbean art, storytelling sessions, dance workshops, to name a few, from Friday to Monday. All programs and activities are free with admission.

‘Chasing Amy’ special event

For those who don’t watch a lot of movies, you may want to add this to your list. Chasing Amy, the 1997 rom-com cult classic by Kevin Smith, will be shown at the Hot Docs Ted Rogers Cinema, along with Sav Rodgers’ documentary, Chasing Chasing Amy, which examines the legacy of the film and its impact on the 2SLGBTQ+ community.

“Explore the transformational impact of ’90s rom-com Chasing Amy on a 12-year-old kid from Kansas, coming of age and contending with queer identity,” the website states about the documentary.

The documentary is at 6:30 p.m. on Friday followed by the film at 9:30 p.m. After the film, Rodgers will host a live Zoom Q&A.

Click on the links provided above for ticket information.

Road closures

Ongoing city closures

• O’Connor Drive is down to a single lane each way between Bermondsey and Sandra for road reconstruction, and sewer and watermain installation until summer 2024.
• The Yonge and Bloor intersection is reduced to a single lane all ways for condo construction and sewer installation until 2025.
• University Avenue will be reduced to a single lane in both directions between College Street and Queen Street West to complete several infrastructure projects for the next several months.
• Queen Street is fully closed to traffic between Bay and Victoria Streets to accommodate work on a new station for the Ontario Line subway. The closure is scheduled to last for at least four-and-a-half years until 2027.
• Northbound Yonge Street is reduced to one lane between Wellington and King Streets for TTC construction. The project is scheduled to continue into 2024.
• Two northbound lanes of Yonge Street from King Street to Wellington Street are closed for TTC construction until Sept. 30, 2024.
• Two westbound lanes of Lake Shore Boulevard East from Cherry Street to Carlaw Avenue are closed until April 10, 2024.
• Finch Avenue West is reduced to a single lane in both directions from Dufferin to Wilmington for sewer installation until October 2024.
• Eglinton Avenue West is down to a single lane east of Islington and west of Scarlett Road for tunnelling work related to the multi-year Eglinton Crosstown West Extension project.

With files from Kyle Hocking