The Montreal High Lights Festival, which runs Feb. 18 to 28, seems to get most of its press for being a fine wine and food event. Sounds great! I’ll mark it on my calendar for 2033, when the kids are (god willing) out of the house.

But, in the 11 years since it started, organizers have added more and more family activities to the High Lights Fest, which is centered in Old Montreal. It’s billed as the “perfect antidote to the winter blahs”.  You can get a sense of the atmosphere from these pictures, taken at last year’s High Lights Festival (see more photos, courtesy of the High Lights Festival, here.)

Here’s a rundown of some of the family friendly activities of the festival. Plan an afternoon/early evening visit on the weekend days, because most family activities start at noon and go till 6 p.m.

On the festival site, there is:

• A ferris wheel, fair games and a heated tent
• Sledding on a 120-metre ice slide
• Horse-drawn wagon rides
• Taffy on the snow and other maple products
• A storytellers’ corner, with stories from around the world.
• Street performers and entertainers
• Skating at the Bonsecours Basin
• Places to roast marshmallows and sausages
• Fireworks after 8 p.m.

What’s new this year?

• A giant labyrinth made of fir trees, ice and snow
• The Milk-sponsored hospitality tent, where there will be knitting workshops, board games, other activities, and a break from the cold
• Gingerbread Cookie Decorating: on Saturday, Feb. 20 from 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
• Meet Toupie and Binou, and characters from the show Kaboum, on Sunday, Feb. 21. Toupie and Binou will be there at 1:30 p.m., Kaboum characters at 3 p.m.

Parents, what’s in it for you? Well, for one thing, there will be the Portuguese Happy Hours on Fridays and Saturdays from noon to 6 p.m., where you can sample fine wines from Portugal. No need to wait till 2033!

For general info, including schedules for each day, visit the High Lights Festival Website or call 514 288-9955 or  1-888-477-9955. Also, check the site for a map of the grounds and street closures in the area. If you have little ones, be sure to bring a stroller, or sled that you can pull.

All photos courtesy of the Montreal High Lights Festival.