Do you take your vacation time from Printing Toronto at the exact same time every year? Do you go to the exact same place and do the exact same things? Is it getting boring? We bet it is. So why not mix things up a little? You could time your vacation to coincide with a popular festival somewhere in North America. Whether it's something you're interested in or something you've always wondered about, you won't be bored. Here are some ideas.

Calgary Stampede

Held during ten days in July, the Calgary stampede is one of Canada's most popular festivals. Haliburton catering comes with its best barbecued foods, plus there are parades, rodeos, races, stage shows, a midway full of games and rides, racing, First Nations cultural exhibitions, and musical concerts. If you've ever wanted to stroll around town in cowboy boots and a bolo tie, this is the time to do it. You might even try your hand at horseback riding or enter into a jam making contest.

Winterlude

Popular opinion south of the border has it that Canadian winters are something to be avoided, but for three weekends in February in Ottawa winter is very much celebrated. Winterlude, which encompasses events such as ice skating on the Rideau Canal, ice sculpture competitions, snow playgrounds, food displays, concerts, and snow races. Even people in the Sutton members program come out to participate. It attracts over 1.5 million visitors a year.

Mardi Gras

Mardi Gras, a feast holiday that occurs before Lent on the Christian calendar, is a huge celebration that lasts all week in the city of New Orleans. The main event is the parade, at which groups as far away as an English school in Canada make floats for, but there are also costume balls, dinners, displays, and dancing. Free trinkets are distributed throughout the festival and millions of visitors pack the streets. It's a sight to behold.


Day of the Dead

If you think Halloween is fun, having kids in costumes come to your Toronto loft for candy, book your vacation for Halloween week and travel to Oaxaca, Mexico for a real celebration. The Day of the Dead celebrates dead relatives and friends in a happy, colorful way. There are parades, costumes, craft fairs, art displays, and parties. There's nothing like it. You can dress up as a skeleton and party all night in a cemetery.