Take your pick: adrenaline packed or slow and contemplative?
Published on Mar 26, 2019
Time to celebrate the start of spring! This weekend there will be festivities at some of the ski centres and seasonal goodies to sample al fresco on a terrasse. You’ll also have the choice of some delicious vegetarian dishes, a gourmet tasting event and a final opportunity for a torchlit trek on snowshoes….
This weekend, three of the four major Eastern Townships’ ski centres are hosting a slew of spring activities.
Owl’s Head is once more hosting its popular « Hoot » - a spring event that raises funds for the Canadian Ski Patrol. The line-up includes a treasure hunt, costume competition, BBQ on the terrasse, inflatable games, DJ and of course, the « Slush Cup », the highlight of the day. This nutty competition involves skiers zooming down a slope, then jumping as high as they can with as much style as they can muster, before landing in a huge pool of freezing cold water!
All weekend at MONT Sutton, you can treat yourself to a « sugar cabin » meal served in the chalet at the 680-metre (2,231 feet) peak of the mountain. What better way to load up on the calories than between a couple of runs? Pea soup, ham flavoured with maple syrup, baked beans laced with bacon and « pudding chômeur » (a cake-like dessert drenched in maple syrup.) ‘Tis the season!
Mont-Orford sees the return of the traditional « sugar shack dinner » at the Slalom Pub. All-you-can-eat buffet, maple taffy on snow and DJ are on the agenda Reservations required.
The Brasserie 11 comtés in Cookshire is opening up its terrasse this Saturday, March 30. To celebrate the start of spring, the brewery, in partnership with Westley Sirop d’érable and the Restaurant au Cuisinier déchaîné is offering a selection of truly local specialties – poutine, maple taffy and beer, all served on the terrasse. Reservations recommended.
Saturday, March 30, from noon-6pm | Brasserie 11 comtés, Cookshire
This is the last weekend of the season to enjoy a torchlit outing on snowshoes at Mont Megantic National Park. Accessible to all levels of ability, the marked trail stretches for 3.5 kilometres (2 miles) and you can combine the snowshoe activity with an astronomy evening at ASTROLab. A special presentation, which lasts for two hours, explains the rhythms and movements of the universe, after which you can observe the stars through the powerful exterior telescopes (weather permitting).
Saturday, March 30 (7pm-11pm) | Mont Megantic National Park (Observatory Sector)
Longing for some fresh, healthy food? Check out one of these nine vegetarian restaurants in the Eastern Townships. Whether for breakfast, lunch or dinner, you’ll find simple, tasty dishes, almost always made with fresh, local, organic ingredients.
The Comptoir gourmand du Centre is inviting foodies for a fabulous day of gourmet goodies! The food tasting event is entitled Printemps gourmand (« Gourmet Spring ») and several local producers will be on hand to showcase their products – maple water, maple wine, vinaigrettes and marinades, cookies, pâté and goose rillettes, chocolate and much, much more.
Saturday, March 30 (11am-5pm)| Comptoir Gourmand du Centro, Sherbrooke
