Summer with Santa

What does Santa do all summer? If you have been asked this question one too many times, this year travel to Bracebridge, Ontario, Canada and find the answer.

Bracebridge, just north of Toronto, sits on the 45th parallel, halfway between the Equator and the North Pole. Since 1955, Bracebridge has been home to Santa’s Village Family Entertainment Park, Santa Claus’ preferred summer vacation spot.

Not sure what to do first? After being greeted by Santa himself in Santa Square guests can catch a ride around the 50-acre park on the Candy Cane Express miniature train and use it to get your bearings.

Santa is not the only one on vacation over the summer; the elves are too. The park is full of ways to amuse elves (and children).

Enjoy net climbing excitement in the Elves Island Play Area. Ride Rudolph’s Sleigh Ride Roller Coaster, the Christmas Ball Ferris Wheel, the Merry-Go-Round, and more.

Children can create customized souvenir crafts in the Elves Workshop and Candy Cane Lane features a variety of skill games to hone hand-eye coordination. Live entertainers perform at the park throughout the season.

Santa’s Village also features a petting zoo complete with goats, sheep, and deer, though not reindeer since Bracebridge is too warm for those hardy animals.

One of the attractions of this summer home away from the North Pole is warm weather and the chance to cool off in Santa’s Splash Zone. Work up a sweat paddling around lemonade lagoon in one of Santa’s Paddleboats or relax and let someone else do the work when you take Santa's Summer Sleigh Jetboat Cruise.

The park is open 10am to 6pm from June to September. For more specific information about Santa’s Village, or to make reservations, visit the park on the web at http://www.santasvillage.ca/ .