I wrote a feature for the StarPhoenix last weekend about a festival that has been growing in popularity in Saskatoon. WinterShines began on Saturday and will continue for the next two weeks with nearly every kind of fun, winter event you can hold on a riverbank in downtown Saskatoon.
Volunteers and event organizers got together and built the city’s first Ice Park, which includes a slide, ice climbing wall and skating rink. The ice park is open throughout the festival along with outdoor food vendors and a range of events and activities to keep people busy and enjoying the (seemingly) longest months of winter.
Festival-goers can enjoy dog sledding, sleigh rides, light shows, outdoor bbqs, ice carving competitions, snow carving displays, a winter soup cook off, a huge snowball fight (Yukigassen) and Ice Jam: Battle of the Bands. I’m looking forward to taking the kiddies on an ice slide for the first time and getting all dressed up in warm winter gear. There’s nothing better than spending the day outside then coming in to warm up with a cup of hot chocolate and a roaring fire while you wait for the cold in your cheeks to disappear.
Check out the WinterShines website for a breakdown of events and consider planning your next winter trip to Saskatoon at the end of January to catch the festival next year! JennKSharp