COLD LAKE - Cold Lake residents bundled up and braved the cold on Feb. 16 for the City of Cold Lake’s portion of Snow Fever, held at the Thomas Varughese Memorial Field.
Throughout the afternoon, families took part in a variety of winter activities, including ice slides, axe throwing, mini putt, a dig box, outdoor skating, and even a visit by Olaf from the popular Disney movie Frozen.
A highlight of the afternoon was the highly anticipated cardboard sled races.
The MD of Bonnyville, City of Cold Lake, and CFB Cold Lake collaborate each year to host a three-day event over the Family Day long weekend, offering outdoor activities that allow families to embrace winter and spend quality time together, said Katie Pankhurst, Community Event Programmer for the City of Cold Lake.
Despite the chilly temperatures, the event saw an impressive turnout.
“Considering the weather, the turnout was very good, I would guess there was 150 to 200 people. It’s always hard to estimate as people come and go, but everything stayed busy throughout the day,” said Pankhurst.
Attendees enjoyed a mix of returning favourites and popular new additions, with ice slides and games being crowd favorites, according to Pankhurst.
One of the standout attractions this year was the 18-hole mini putt course brought by Lakeland Golf2Go. Another popular feature for young adventurers was the dig box.
“We brought out frozen eggs for a dig box and the kids loved it. The eggs were filled with dinosaurs, sea creatures, and other mini figurines,” she said.
The cardboard sled races also drew plenty of cheers from people at the festival.
“I think everyone really enjoyed the Cardboard Sled Races, both the participants and spectators. We will make some minor tweaks for next year as we hope to have more entries, but overall, it went very well."
She added, “The plan is to run the races annually. The feedback was really good, many people were discussing entering next year and what they would do for their sled. Design is key for this one.”
Families also had the chance to capture special memories with the event’s ice throne and sculptures.
“Our ice throne and other sculptures created the perfect photo opportunity for families to share with their friends and families that couldn’t attend. Overall, Family Day is to promote family values and making memories.”
Events were also held at Kinosoo Ridge on Feb. 15, hosted by the MD of Bonnyville, and Feb. 17, residents were invited out to 4 Wing Cold Lake to take part in more festivities.
