New Year’s Eve Family Frolic is a family-friendly event held annually at Fort William Historical Park complete with a host of indoor and outdoor activities, games, and fantastic live entertainment. This year’s Family Frolic will be taking place on Tuesday, December 31st from 6 pm to 10 pm. The fort provides a fantastic backdrop for New Year’s Eve celebrations.

Kids will have their pick of fun activities at the Family Frolic, including New Year’s crafts, a scavenger hunt, a games gallery, and a science station. Indigenous artisans will be providing live entertainment and artisan demonstrations indoors, while outdoor activities will include tubing, skating, and snowshoeing (though note that outdoor activities are weather dependent). There is even going to be a resolution wall where you can share your goals for the upcoming year.

If you’re feeling up for a bit of friendly competition, you can also enter into one of the many contests taking place over the evening. Take part in a good old-fashioned log sawing contest, test your skills at the New Year’s Trivia Challenge, or balance with one or two friends on a single pair of skis in the “Moose Skis” competition. If you get hungry in between activities and contests, The Cantine Restaurant will be providing a full menu you can order from.

The celebrations are capped off every year with a stunning display of fireworks that are best viewed from the park’s main square. As the fireworks finish around 10 pm, it gives families with children plenty of time to get home and get the kids to bed and other attendees the chance to make their way to another party for the midnight countdown.

New Year’s Eve Family Frolic is a ticketed event, though prices are very affordable. Tickets are just $10 for adults and $8 for children (ages five and under), youth (ages six to 12), seniors (ages 60 and over), and students with a valid student ID. You can purchase tickets ahead of time by calling 807-473-2344. The parking at Fort William Historical Park is always free.

It’s hard to think of a more fitting way to celebrate New Year’s Eve than at a cultural site that has welcomed hundreds of New Years over its long and storied history. Fort William Historical Park is one of Canada’s largest living history attractions. Visitors step back in time to the days of the Canadian fur trade and experience a bit of how life and culture at the fort looked two centuries ago. There are 57 buildings, many of them heritage buildings, spread throughout the park’s 250 acres.

This New Year’s Eve, consider spending a fun evening with loved ones under the stars in Thunder Bay. Whether you are visiting family in the area or you’re just looking for an exciting way to ring in 2020, New Year’s Eve Family Frolic at Fort William Historical Park is a charming event that offers something for everyone to enjoy.