Aug. 5 update: The Inflatable Fun Day scheduled for this Saturday, Aug. 7 has been postponed by Station Mall. The Mall has stated that this is due to inclement weather on Saturday. Station Mall will be announcing a new date for this event in the future.
Original Aug. 1 information: As another example of municipalities and businesses providing another chance for families to get out and enjoy themselves as part of Step 3 of Ontario's reopening plan, Station Mall will be holding an ‘Inflatable Fun-Day’ Saturday Aug. 7 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the mall’s east parking lot (beside the former Sears store).
Features will include the Rugged Warrior Challenge obstacle course and a 27-foot high Mt. Rushmore slide.
The event is free for the public to attend.
“We encourage people to do so safely. Obviously there will be COVID protocols in place but I think it’s going to be a nice event for shoppers and other people who might be downtown. We encourage people to check it out,” said Michael Szczepaniak, Station Mall property manager.
Szczepaniak said the inflatables will be provided by “an out-of-town vendor.”
“We’re excited to have customers back in the mall and the retailers are excited to have their doors back open,” Szczepaniak said of the earlier-than-expected decision by the province to allow indoor, non-essential retailers to open their doors to customers (while still observing masks and capacity limits) July 16.
That comes after a stay-at-home order was issued by the province in April as a COVID-19 precaution measure, the lockdown having been lifted in Steps 1, 2 and 3, with Step 3 still in effect.
“It’s great (to be open for indoor shoppers)...the morale around the mall has been great,” said Ryan Rosset, Savoy’s Jewellers (Station Mall) owner/operator and gemmologist/goldsmith, in an earlier conversation with SooToday.
“I would agree with that...(morale among the shopping centre’s retailers) is much better than it has been over the past year for sure,” Szczepaniak said.
Prizes will be available at Saturday’s Station Mall Inflatable Fun-Day, including a pair of Airpods Pro, a $250 Station Mall Gift Card and two $150 Station Mall gift cards.
In other summer fun, as reported earlier by SooToday, Campbell Amusements has announced it will be coming back to the Community First Soo PeeWee Arena from Aug. 12 to 22 as this year's fair dates.
Earlier, Campbell Amusements cancelled its 2020 and 2021 events due to COVID-19 restrictions.