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Mini breaks can make a world of difference. We know that pint-sized fun is better than no fun at all whether it’s a daytrip or a weekend escape, enjoying time together and making family memories matters. Based on reader feedback theFamilyTravelFiles.com has expanded the Best Fall Festivals & Corn Mazes for 2010 to include more mazes and festivals in the USA plus terrific spots in Canada.

The Best Fall Festivals and Corn Mazes for Families for 2010 regional lists reveal a plethora of chances to have fun with kids. The lists span eight distinct geographic regions in the USA plus three regions within Canada.

The collection of festivals and events runs the gamut from barnyard mini-golf in Vermont and pumpkin bowling in Kansas to pig races, hayrides, living history, and the most remarkable corn mazes on the continent. Mini breaks in Canada include plenty of pumpkin patches, scarecrows, hay rides, corn piles, and apple picking plus corn quests in Nova Scotia and a cranberry bog encounter in British Columbia. For night owls there are maze adventures by moonlight or flashlight.

Celebrating the season takes more than corn, pumpkins and apple cider. To be the best means offering families clever ways to add to the fun of the season. The best for 2010 was compiled from Family Travel Files staff favorites as well as suggestions by readers who took the time to “Tell Mom” about their favorite fall festival or corn maze.

The expanded list of family friendly Fall Festivals & Corn Mazes may be viewed at theFamilyTravelFiles.com by clicking on the special green and yellow folder labeled “aMAZEing Fun” or by selecting a region of the country and viewing the relevant feature. To expand the list for the future readers are encouraged to “Tell Mom” about their favorite family corn maze or fall festival.

Readers may become a fan of Family Travel Files on Facebook and keep up with the latest family vacation news or follow Family Travel Files Blog and provide feedback as news is posted.

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In an exclusive arrangement, the Gladstone Hotel is pleased to present the personal collection of Haitian and Jamaican art by acclaimed director Jonathan Demme. Curated by Wail Qattan, the special exhibit will be on display in the hotel’s gallery space, September 7 – 16th, 2010 and will feature a selection of works by self-taught Haitian masters such as Philome Obin, Gabriel Alix, Georges Liautaud, & Pierre Joseph-Valcin.

The award-winning director of such films, The Silence of the Lambs and Philadelphia, Demme will also host an exclusive screening and discussion of his documentary, The Agronomist, on September 12th at 2pm. Tickets to the event will be sold at a cost of $20 per person, with all proceeds to support relief work in Haiti.

An avid collector, Demme’s diverse creative interests include a love for Haiti and its culture. After acquiring a Haitian painting at a New York gallery in the 1980s, he repeatedly visited Haiti where he learned Creole and befriended artists and activists while shooting footage for the film The Agronomist, which features the life of activist and prominent Haitian journalist, Jean Dominique.

On September 11, 2010, the Gladstone will also welcome Haitian culture and vodou expert, Astrid Jaeger. A vodou temple from Jaeger’s own collection will be installed in the Demme exhibit, followed by a discussion with the internationally-renowned specialist at 1pm.

The Demme exhibit will be free of charge for guests and visitors to the Gladstone. Tickets to The Agronomist screening and discussion can be purchased at the hotel or online at http://www.eventbrite.com/event/777404237. For more information, call the Gladstone Hotel at 416-531-4635 or visit www.gladstonehotel.com.

In response to consumer demand, Bay Ferries Limited is pleased to expand the fall schedule for the Princess of Acadia servicing travelers between Digby, Nova Scotia, and Saint John, New Brunswick. The enhanced fall schedule adds three (3) additional round-trips per week for a total of fourteen (14) round-trip crossings per week through to October 12th, 2010.

According to Donald Cormier, Vice President of Operations with Bay Ferries, “We are pleased to add capacity this fall to support anticipated increases in demand from the trucking and tourism sectors in our region.”

Passenger traffic on the Princess of Acadia this summer has increased more than 25% with expectations for this trend to continue as the fall tourism season approaches. Additionally, commercial clients are forecasting strong export volumes in the coming months.

The revised Princess of Acadia schedule is as follows. Additional roundtrips denoted with an asterisk.

2010 Departures from
SAINT JOHN Sept 12 – Oct 12
————————
Mon 12:00 / 23:00
Tue 12:00 / 20:45*
Wed 12:00 / 23:00
Thu 12:00 / 23:00
Fri 12:00 / 23:00
Sat 12:00 / 20:45*
Sun 12:00 / 20:45*
————————

2010 Departures from
DIGBY Sept 12 – Oct 12
————————
Mon 8:00*/ 16:00
Tue 8:00 / 16:00
Wed 8:00*/ 16:00
Thu 8:00 / 16:00
Fri 8:00 / 16:00
Sat 8:00 / 16:00*
Sun 8:00 / 16:00

From shopping West Edmonton Mall and strolling the Royal Alberta Museum to special events such as the Canadian Finals Rodeo or the must-attend 98th Grey Cup, visitors to Edmonton, Alberta are in for a memorable experience with one of these Edmonton vacation packages.

For some real excitement, the Where the West Turns Wild 2 day/1 night package at the Sutton Place Hotel includes attendance to the Canadian Finals Rodeo, a world-class rodeo event that attracts the best contestants and stock in the land. And fans like you make it the biggest and best rodeo event in Edmonton. This package includes hotel accommodations, tickets to a whole weekend of rodeo performances and a souvenir program.

Enjoy the West Edmonton Mall to its fullest with the Fantasyland Hotel’s Play Hard, Sleep Easy 3 day/2 night package. The largest shopping and entertainment complex in North America offers over 800 stores and services and nine world-class attractions! With one of the West Edmonton Mall packages, stay 2 nights at the famous Fantasyland Hotel and with visit as many attractions as you can with the Cosmo Super Pass.

Art lovers will enjoy the Art is Alive in Edmonton package featuring the Royal Alberta Museum with its rich history of Edmonton or a visit to The Art of Warner Brothers Cartoons at the Art Gallery of Alberta. The Coast Edmonton Plaza Hotel offers this package with comfort and convenience to unwind at the end of your busy day experiencing the Edmonton arts community.

Serious shoppers need not look any further than the 3 day/2 night Mallapalooza Shopping Package at the Sawridge Inn Edmonton South. Get all your back to school shopping done and enjoy an Edmonton shopping and accommodation experience that rocks! Stay at the newly renovated Sawridge Inn Edmonton South and hit Edmonton’s hottest malls for a two day shopping getaway that can’t be beat!

Horticulturists will be awed with the Flower Power 2 day/1 night package at the Executive Royal Inn West Edmonton. With 190 acres to explore, the Devonian Botanic Garden has something to appeal to everyone. Spend hours exploring the garden’s indoor display greenhouses, a butterfly house, the Kurimoto Japanese Garden, extensive alpine garden, or take in one of the many educational camps for kids and families. When the day is done, relax at the Executive Royal Inn West Edmonton which offers everything the family needs to feel at home.

And for the ultimate Edmonton sports package experience Football Fever at Grey Cup 2010 at the Greenwood Inn & Suites with a 3 day/2 night 98th Grey Cup package to experience the biggest party of the year. Stay the weekend at Greenwood Inn & Suites and take in the celebrations happening around town. You’ll receive two tickets to attend the sold out Grey Cup game on November 28, 2010, and $25/day vouchers for Dalton’s Restaurant.

For more information about Edmonton vacation packages and other things to do in Edmonton this fall, visit http://www.edmonton.com/for-visitors/vacation-packages.aspx.