Things to Do in Dartmouth

The course at Harbour Ridge Golf Club blazes a winding path among numerous water hazards, opening out onto greens with sweeping views of the harbour below. As the slate-blue water ruffles in the wind, players work their ways across two par 3 holes, six par 4 holes, and a hole that can be played as a par 5 or a par 4 depending on the chosen set of tees. A clubhouse perches on a small hillock, overlooking the evergreen trees that line the fairways and distract lumberjacks from continually asking about the rules of golf.

Course at a Glance:

• 9-hole, par-34 course

• Total length of 2,301 yards from the back tees

• Course rating of 31.6 from the back tees

• Course slope of 101 from the back tees

• Three sets of tees per hole

Surprisingly spry for a 90-year-old, Gus the gopher tortoise greets Museum of Natural History visitors while strolling around the premises and snacking on clover and dandelions. As the museum's mascot for more than six decades, Gus has amassed a substantial following, and he keeps his 1,500+ Facebook friends abreast of the latest goings-on at his home's seven permanent galleries. Unearthed tools, arrowheads, and Tupperware of the Mi'kmaq and Acadian peoples await in the archaeology exhibit, and the pre-contact culture, religion, and language of Nova Scotia come to life in the ethnology hall. Life-sized models of feathered bipeds and four-legged furballs lurk in the mammals-and-birds gallery. Live snakes, frogs, salamanders, and honeybees call Netukulimk home, embodying a Mi'kmaq conception of the relationship between the human and natural worlds.

Since its first year more than 25 years ago, Greek Fest has immersed attendees in Greek culture and culinary tradition with a four-day indoor and outdoor festival. Each day, visitors can explore a cultural exhibition spanning traditional crafts, art replicas, and religious artifacts; guided tours roam within the local Byzantine Greek Orthodox church to highlight colourful iconography and ornate interior architecture. A massive white-tented dome hosts live music played on painted mandolins while dance troupes perform regional dances. Children can work out extra adrenalin at a kids' Olympics area, where coaches supervise soccer training zones to keep them away from wild vuvuzelas. A running contest throughout the festival can award two participants with a trip to Greece, allowing them to further explore Greek culture.

Foodies can placate their palates with a range of authentic Greek dishes, assembled from the grill and formed into plates of souvlaki, chicken-filled pitas, and beef donair. In past years, local restaurants and women from the city's Greek community have contributed to the kitchen's diverse plated options with savoury and sweet fare such as baklava, diples, and pastitsio. Mythologists can also explore the obsessions of Dionysus at a Greek wine tasting led by local sommelier Costa Elles.

Alpha Strike Laser Tag brings the futuristic equipment and tactical strategy of video games into black-lit reality. Branches and green vines creep over the arena's faux-stone walls, amid which players send laser beams flying towards their opponents' vests. Standard and advanced game types make strategizing during these battles a necessity. Alpha Tag, for example, forces laser soldiers to switch between a long-range phaser and a more powerful, but shorter-range blaster. Creating more challenges, Territories beckons players to conquer bases while avoiding hidden traps and the temptation to build monuments to their glory. Throughout all game types, strategically placed control stations flash colourful lights that indicate upgrades for guns and shields.