CHESTERMERE – Although it doesn’t feel much like winter these days, the community will still come together for a day of family fun at the Chestermere Winter Festival this Saturday, Jan. 14.
There will be events taking place at the Chestermere Regional Recreation Center, Anniversary Park, and on the lake for most of the day.
Nancie Huneault, events coordinator for the Town of Chestermere, said that although this year’s celebration may not have a wintery feel, that everyone should still come out and enjoy the day.
“It’s a great community event, and it will give everyone a chance to enjoy this beautiful weather,” she said. “It’s all free, we have some great entertainment for the kids, and we’re supporting some great causes.”
The complete schedule of events for Winterfest are as follows:
A pancake breakfast will kick things off at 8:30 a.m. It will run until 10:00 a.m, and will take place in the MPP Room at the Recreation Centre. Grab some pancakes served up by the Mayor.
The Fishing Derby will start bright and early, with registration opening at 9 a.m. The derby will start at 10 a.m., and will run until 2:00 p.m. It will be held right on Chestermere Lake. The awards for the derby will be held in the lounge at the Recreation Centre at 3 p.m. (If the weather is too warm and the ice is too thin on the lake, the fishing derby WILL be cancelled this year.)
The 25 Yard Daddy Dash, for children five and under, will begin at 10:30 a.m. at the soccer field at the Recreation Centre. Registration for this event begins at 9 a.m. in the MPP room. begins at 9 a.m. Watch as dads get down on their hands and knees and race to the finish line, with their kids in tow. - The “Frost Free Zone” will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. in the Recreation Centre’s main hall. There will be various activities available, as well as a caricature artist, a balloon artist, and children’s entertainer Greg T “That Crazy Magic Guy” who will perform at noon. There will also be a craft area, and an activity setup with games such as Slap Shot Hockey, a Wii station, and Penguin Flip. There will also be a meet and greet with the RCMP & Fire Department hockey team at 1:30 p.m.
The Arctic Village at Anniversary Park (across from the Rec Centre), will be open from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. There will be a straw maze, horse drawn sleigh rides, fire pits, snow mountain slide, kids fun foam block building area, food and beverage concessions, open skating on the lake and more.
At 1 p.m. at Anniversary Park, festival visitors can watch the infamous YELL Polar Bear Dip, which is now in its fourth year. Members of the RCMP, members of YELL, and a few other surprise guests will be taking part in the dip.
The second annual Exhibition Hockey Game, which features members of Rocky View Fire Services and the local RCMP facing off against local mens hockey team “The Wannabes.” The game starts at 3 p.m., and entry to the game is a donation the to Chestermere Food Bank. There will be a chance for spectators to get down on the ice and shoot to win some cool prizes. All cash proceeds from the game will go toward Owen, a youngster from Chestermere who was recently diagnosed with stage four lymphoma.
The day will finish off at Anniversary Park, where there will be the “Fire and Ice” gathering at 5:30 p.m. There will be a bonfire, a children’s lantern walk and fireworks.
The Second Gear Club’s motorcycle oval ice race has been cancelled this year, due to the thin ice on the lake.
For complete details, go to www.chestermerefestivals.ca.
