St. Catharines residents looking to fill the Thanksgiving long weekend have plenty of options close to home, from the final spins of the season at the Lakeside Park Carousel to free tours of a working 19th-century grist mill.
The City of St. Catharines has laid out its October long weekend offerings, with most attractions open Saturday, Oct. 10 through Monday, Oct. 12.
Carousel closes for the season Monday
The Lakeside Park Carousel will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday through Monday, with rides still costing just five cents. The carousel closes for the season at the end of the day on Monday, Oct. 12.
At Happy Rolph's Animal Farm, the park is open dawn to dusk, with animal viewing from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and washrooms open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. The animal area and washrooms close for the season at the end of day Sunday, Oct. 18.
Garden City Golf Course is open all weekend, including Monday, with off-season rates in effect for the par-60 executive course. Tee times can be booked online or by phone, and walk-ins are welcome. The course wraps up its season Sunday, Oct. 25.
Pumpkins at the Farmers Market
The St. Catharines Farmers Market runs from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday, Oct. 10, offering the best of what Niagara grows, bakes and makes, according to a City of St. Catharines news release.
This weekend's Market Discovery Table feature is pumpkins and fall squash, presented by PenFinancial Credit Union. The Music in the Square concert series features Michelle Hedley Music from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., and visitors can also learn about the Mushroom Project and the Niagara River Lions as part of the Community Engagement Series. The concert series wraps up for the season on Saturday, Oct. 17.
Heritage, skating and swimming
Morningstar Mill, a rural industrial heritage site featuring a working grist mill rebuilt in 1872, is open from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday through Monday. Tours of the mill and the Morningstar homestead are free, with donations welcome.
Public skating programs run Friday, Saturday and Sunday at the Seymour-Hannah Sports and Entertainment Centre and Bill Burgoyne Arena. Leisure swims and aquatics programs are also available Friday through Sunday at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre.
The St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre is open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and holiday Monday, with admission by donation. Visitors can explore exhibits, watch ships from the viewing platform and explore Discovery Park.
The museum's Honouring Indigenous Aid travelling exhibit, which pays tribute to the Anishinaabe, Haudenosaunee and Huron-Wendat peoples who contributed to Irish Famine relief in 1847, remains on display until Nov. 30.
The City also noted some facilities will be closed on Monday, Oct. 12, and encouraged residents affected by flooding from the July and August 2026 rainstorms to complete its Flood Impact Form to support potential provincial disaster assistance.
