The Tourist Welcome Centre is located in Grand Bend, just 500m from the Grand Bend beach. It is owned and operated by the Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Municipality of Lambton Shores. A tourism grant from the Municipality, as well as federal and provincial wage grants, visitor guide advertising revenue and fundraising activities, pay for its maintenance and year-round operation, additionally supported through local businesses' membership fees to the Grand Bend & Area Chamber of Commerce. The area known as the "Grand Bend Area" includes the municipalities of Lambton Shores, South Huron and Bluewater and has been a vacation destination for more than 100-years! Today, the Main Beach not only features a Beach House with flush toilets, outdoor foot showers, splash pad and adventure playground but FREE Sunday summer music concerts in July and August. Parking fees support the maintenance of these facilities and the work involved to ensure uninterrupted Blue Flag status since 2007 (http://www.blueflag.org/menu/awarded-sites/2014/northern-hemisphere/canada/ontario/grand-bend-beach). The Area boasts one of the most popular provincial parks - The Pinery - which has 1,000 camping sites and 9 day-use beaches, canoe, kayak and bike rentals. Huron Country Playhouse's two auditoriums together seat 950 theatre patrons and run top-rated musicals, comedies and popular theatre from June through August. Grand Bend Motorplex is one of the largest racing venues in Canada and offers drag racing and road racing, while its neighbour Grand Bend Speedway offers oval track racing and motorcross. The Giant Sand Dune, located in Port Franks, is the biggest sandhill around and kids of all ages enjoy the challenge of climbing up and walking down. In Spring, the annual migration of 15,000+ Tundra Swans from Chesapeake Bay to Canada's Arctic makes the Thedford Bog fields, located behind the Lambton Heritage Museum on Highway 21, the place to witness one of nature's wonders. Fossil hunting for crinoids, brachiopods and trilobites in the shallow, child-safe river at Rock Glen Conservation Area is a popular activity as is viewing the County's only Waterfall. For art lovers there are a dozen local artist galleries and working studios in Forest, Port Franks and Grand Bend. Annually, Paint Ontario in September and the Studio Tour in May provide art lovers feature events to view and purchase original works of art by Ontario and local artists. For the more adventurous, the area boasts one of only 3 parachuting centres in Ontario, Grand Bend Sport Parachuting, as well as parasailing off the Main Beach, wakeboarding and paddleboarding. Want to keep your feet on dry ground? There are ten 18-hole and two 9-hole golf courses within 5 to 45 minutes from the beach! Beaching - Boating - Hiking - Fishing - Golfing - Drag Racing - Cycling - Skydiving - Parasailing - Wakeboarding - Paddleboarding - Birdwatching - Theatregoing - Galleries & Studios - Historical Walking Tours - Heritage Museums & Exhibits - 60 Festivals & Events. What do you want to do on your vacation?
