Summer starts here: What’s open at the City for the May long weekend

Sunset Beach, City splash pads, Happy Rolph’s, the Lakeside Park Carousel and more are set to welcome residents and visitors to the heart of Niagara as the May long weekend ushers in the unofficial start to summer. The City of St. Catharines encourages everyone to enjoy long weekend fun at City facilities open for the season.

Happy Rolph’s Animal Farm
Starting Saturday, May 16, the farm animals will be ready to meet visitors at Happy Rolph’s Animal Farm daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Located at 650 Read Rd. along the shores of Lake Ontario, Happy Rolph’s features up-close experiences with farm animals, diverse birds and plants; an accessible playground; access to the waterfront; trails and more. The park itself and playground is open from dawn until dusk each day. Learn more at stcatharines.ca/HappyRolphs.

Sunset Beach
It’s almost beach time, St. Catharines! Beginning Saturday May 16, Sunset Beach will have a soft reopening to the public after undergoing renovations since last fall to upgrade the park’s facilities, including parking lots, trails, the boat ramp, playground, and shoreline protection.

While some project components such as the playground, mobi-mats, some landscaping and beach grooming are not fully finished, come have a sneak peek at the new features as we prepare for the grand opening in June.
Paid Parking is in effect for Sunset Beach and Lakeside Park until Sept 30.
• Sunset Beach: $3.25 per hour, or $20 flat daily rate
• Lakeside Beach: $3.25 per hour with a three-hour maximum
• Exceeding time limits will result in a penalty notice.

St. Catharines residents can purchase a beach parking permit which allows no daily time limit at the Lakeside Park and Sunset Beach parking lots. See www.stcatharines.ca/beachparking for more information.

Lakeside Park Carousel
The Lakeside Park Carousel kicks off a summer of spins at 11 a.m. on Saturday, May 16. Still only 5 cents a ride, the historic carousel, a Charles I.D. Looff original featuring
68 hand-carved animals, will be open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekends and holidays until June 30.
Visitors will enjoy the first rides of the season free-of-charge all day on opening day (May 16) thanks to the Friends of the Carousel, the volunteer group that partners with the City on restoring and caring for the carousel and its animals.
The carousel’s daily schedule begins Wednesday, July 1 and runs until Tuesday, September 1. Learn more at stcatharines.ca/carousel.

Splash pads
City splash pads at Bogart Street Park, Catherine Street Park, Secord Woods Park, Lester B. Pearson Park, and West Park open for the season Friday, May 15 and will be open daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. for the summer. Learn more at stcatharines.ca/SplashPads.

St. Catharines Farmers Market
Live music returns Saturday, May 16 to help kick off summer at the St. Catharines Farmers Market. Open from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. every Saturday, the Farmers Market expands outside with more vendors and more fun all summer long.
On Saturdays, enjoy live music from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. and meet local groups and organizations as part of the Community Engagement Series. This weekend features Tim Atherton on the Market Square Stage and community groups the Mushroom Project, Telus, and The Church Fitness Club organizations, with My Niagara Garden as Market Discovery Table guest (with sponsorship from Stoke Seeds and Ontario Green). Learn more at stcatharines.ca/market.

Garden City Golf Course
Garden City Golf Course is open all weekend, including holiday Monday. Tee times are available from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Reservations can be booked online or by calling 905.682.6432. The beverage station and on-course beverage cart also start up this weekend. The par-60 executive course is located at 37 Lincoln Ave. Learn more at stcatharines.ca/Golf.

St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre
Make a splash this weekend in the pools at the St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre. Leisure Swims, lane swims and more are available at various times Saturday and Sunday. Find advance online registration, swim schedules, admission requirements and more at stcatharines.ca/swimming.

St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre
Explore exhibits, watch ships from the viewing platform, explore Discovery Park and more at the St. Catharines Museum and Welland Canals Centre. Admission is by donation and museum will be open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Sunday and holiday Monday.

Parks and trails
City parks and trails are open for the season. Explore approximately 1,000 acres of parks and trails this summer and discover gardens, open greenspaces, monuments and more. Learn more at stcatharines.ca/Trails.

Closures
The following City facilities will be closed on Victoria Day - Monday, May 18:
• City Hall and City administrative offices
• City arenas
• City community centres and older adult centres
• Kiwanis Artificial Turf Field and City outdoor sports fields
• Morningstar Mill
• St. Catharines Enterprise Centre
• St. Catharines Kiwanis Aquatics Centre
• Victoria Lawn Cemetery administration office (visitation is always available from dawn to dusk)