Theme & Amusement Parks in Newmarket

Masked by opaque helmets, eight racers at a time tense up to counteract the G-force pressing them to the sides of their karts. As they approach the fastest sweeping turn on the course, The Catapult, they sharpen their focus in order to out-manoeuvre the other racers, their final position hanging in the balance. Grand Prix Kartways' 47,000-square-foot facility's alternating red and white barriers blur as electric, Italian-made karts accelerate into the last straightaway, cheered on by spectators watching from the VIP lounge. Once across the finish line, the competitors clear the track for the next race, using instant printouts of the results to compare placing, reveal who had the best lap times, and determine who was throwing all the koopa shells and banana peels. Between races, daredevils can relax and take a seat in the cushy trackside lounge equipped with leather couches, a restaurant menu, and a full bar. The arcade also offers a view of one of the track's hairpin curves between billiards shots, simulator races, and video games on Kinect-equipped Xbox 360 systems.

Clowns juggle balls, trained poodles assemble into a line, and aerial gymnasts soar on the trapeze, and that’s all before the bride cuts the cake. Wonderful World of Circus’s artists unfurl high-flying spectacles at weddings, birthday parties, and corporate events. From acrobats to tightrope walkers, their local and international performers showcase feats of derring-do at private events and shows for the general public, which combine acrobatics and dance to tell stories.

Extending a hand through the fourth wall, Wonderful World of Circus brings kids and adults into the circus to learn these skills for themselves. Trapeze bars, silks, and rings hang down from the training centre's walls. Here, colourful mats and padded floors cushion students as, guided by professional circus performers, they flip through the air like Superman MMA fighting a flock of evil geese. Back on the ground, instructors teach other skills such as juggling and break dancing. Aside from its standard classes, Wonderful World of Circus hosts birthday parties, children's camps, and school field trips at the centre.

At Airborne Trampoline KW, leapers of all ages defy gravity on the centre's six Olympic-style trampolines. Custom mats and padding surround each trampoline to ensure safe landings. Trampoline coaches certified by Gymnastics Ontario and the NCCP watch over visiting jumpers and recreational classes of students aged 6 through adult as they leap, flip, and twirl through basic moves and advanced tricks. When not leading classes, coaches also host tryouts for an in-house competition team. The centre also provides decorated private rooms and basic catering services for birthday parties, during which children combine the joy of birthdays with the thrill of hugging clouds they've herded indoors.

At Kidnetix Edu-Play Centre, toddlers and children clamber up eight towering play structures and slide back down to the carpeted floor in plastic tube slides, and wee adventurers scale a child-sized rock-climbing wall, explore a tree house, and dive into a ball pit. Others test their agility on padded obstacle courses, crawl through tunnel mazes, and bounce in a large jumping castle.

Kids engage in safe exploration at both Brampton and North York playgrounds, and children can also challenge friends and settle sandbox territory disputes in games of skee-ball, table hockey, and virtual racing at each location's arcade. Kidnetix Edu-Play Centre's engaging staff wields their certifications in ECE and first-aid CPR as they guide kids through educational programs for all ages, as well as themed day camps during the summer and March break, which let campers work out youthful energy through arts and crafts, games, and field trips.

Just Bounce Trampoline Club's certified coaches orchestrate proper technical progressions on eight competition trampolines surrounded by padded decks and walls to ensure safety. As jumpers slice through the air learning turns, pike jumps, or flips, parents and onlookers cheer from an elevated window booth. During group instruction, day camps, and birthday parties, each instructor supervises up to eight leapers, ensuring that each gravity-defying participant receives individual attention and truly learns what a frog's perspective is like. Each coach aims to imbue burgeoning athletes with self-esteem and refined focus as they teach skills of gradually increasing difficulty during both group and private lessons.

Established more than 40 years ago, Goodwood Kartways covers more than 20 acres of rolling hills with a 0.75-kilometre professional racecourse geared toward first time drivers and advanced roadsters alike. Current owners and professional racers Daniel and Marco Di Leo continue Goodwood Kartways' legacy of mentoring racing stars with the rookie Arrive and Drive program. Participants race on a biweekly schedule, and consistently excelling drivers qualify for scholarships that grant them entry into competitions throughout Ontario and a kart with wheels dipped in gold. A pro shop equips drivers with all necessary parts and accoutrements, a dyno shop inspects engines and ensures their quality performance, and the garage examines and heals broken machinery. Boasting more than 15 years of experience and more than 35 Canadian National titles, Goodwood Kartways personnel supply abundant kart maintenance and aid through trackside support, private group events, storage facilities, and deep-tread massages for weary tires.