6 fun things to do on P.E.I. this weekend

It's the last weekend in January and the days are already getting noticeably longer.

While we're still in the throes of winter, there are plenty of indoor and outdoor activities to choose from on P.E.I., many of them 100 per cent free.

Here are some suggestions.

1. Get into books

There are free family literacy events at five public libraries Saturday, including Summerside, Tyne Valley, O'Leary, Stratford and Montague.

In Montague at 1 p.m. they're holding a "read in" to see how many people they can get reading in the library at once. O'Leary will have family board games to play from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and in Stratford at 11:30 kids can hear stories by Barbara Reid, make their own play dough and create some art with it.

The province's major event will be in Summersidefrom 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rotary Library. They'll have storiesin French and English, music, puppet shows, healthy snacks, face painting and giveaways.

2. Skate with the Islanders

Saturday after the Charlottetown Islanders hockey team takes on the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles at 3 p.m., they'll have a free public skate with team members.

From 5:45 to 6:45 p.m., meet your favourite players in their natural habitat on the ice! It's B.Y.O.S.: Bring Your Own Skates.

3. Blanket exercise

After the 10 a.m. worship service Sunday, St. Paul's Anglican Church in Charlottetown is hosting a pot-luck chili lunch followed by a blanket exercise at 11 a.m.

In the exercise, blankets representing the land are laid out on the floor and participants are invited to step onto them as Indigenous peoples. Anarrator and a facilitator acting as a Europeanwalk the group through a script as Europeans bring disease and break treaties, blankets are folded and removedshowing the way land wastaken and groups werere-located. People who've participated call blanket exercises an eye-opening history lesson.

Participants are asked to bring a blanket and chili, if possible. The lunch and event is expected to take about 90 minutes, organizers say on the event's Facebook page. RSVP if possible tothe church office at 902-892-1691or send a message to St. Paul's on their Facebook page.

• How blankets can teach 500 years of Indigenous history

4. Sleigh ride in Cornwall

Snow permitting, Sunday from 2 to 4 p.m. the West River United Church is hosting a sleigh ride at Potts Sleigh Rides in Bonshaw, P.E.I.

Everyone is welcome and there will be hot cocoa. Admission is free but donations to offset the cost are welcome, the event's Facebook page says.

5. O'Leary Winter Carnival

The O'Leary Winter Carnival kicks off Sunday with a curling tournament all day at the Maple Leaf Curling Club.

There are lots of fun family activities all week including a moonlight snowshoe Tuesday night from 7 to 9 p.m. at the Trout River Natural Area, a crib tournament Wednesday, games night Thursday and dances on the weekend.

See the full schedule of events here.

6. Music P.E.I. Awards

There's a whole slew of events Saturday and Sunday as Music P.E.I. Week wraps up find the complete schedule here.

• Music P.E.I. releases 2018 award nominees

• Music PEI Week: The dates they are a changin'

Saturday afternoon theCarrefourdel'IsleSt. Jean presents Music Mosaic, a multicultural concert with Acadian, Irish,Venezuelenand world music performances by IrishMythen,Vishtn,SoPAStudents World Music Ensemble, and LuisAnselmi.

Sunday night at Florence Simmons Performance Hall at Holland College, the big finale show will hand out the major awards, withperformances by Dylan Menzie,AshleyCondon, Alicia Toner, CatherineMacLellan, LiamCorcoranand more. Tickets are $22 and can bepurchased here.

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