Creative activities for all ages, both outdoors and indoors, draw a crowd every year to the Park District of Oak Park’s annual Winter Fest. This year the festivities at this free event will be from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Feb. 8 at Longfellow Park, 610 S. Ridgeland Ave. No reservations are required.
“We host this fun event as an opportunity to engage the community, get people out in the winter, have some fun, and enjoy their neighbors,” said Ann Marie Buczek, the district’s director of marketing and community engagement. “This year we are hosting it at Longfellow Park, where we have an ice rink set up.”
Susan Crane, the Park District’s historic properties and special events manager, said because there’s no guarantee that there will be snow at Winter Fest, they have found creative ways to keep the outdoor activities snow-themed.
One of those activities is a Snowman Scavenger Hunt. “They will have to go around the park and try and locate various snowmen,” Crane said. “We will have what we call Snowball, which is kind of like dodgeball, but with snowballs—not real snowballs, we don’t hurt anybody so they’re fake snowballs.”
There will also be an Ice Fishing Rodeo. “That’s always popular, especially with the little ones,” Crane said. “We have a pool and magnetic fish. And we put ice in it so it does feel like you’re ice fishing.”
Indoors, the nature and adventure program supervisor will be providing themed activities. “I’m not sure what she has up her sleeve yet but she’s pretty creative,” Crane said.
There will also be craft projects.
Visitors are encouraged to bring ice skates, although a limited number of skates can be borrowed on a first come-first served basis.
Winter Festgoers can also watch a Park District hockey group playing three-on-three hockey.
In addition, Crane added, “We’ll have some of our coaches out on the ice so that people don’t feel intimidated to come out on the ice.”
In terms of weather conditions for ice skating, Crane revealed, “We’re trying to negotiate with Mother Nature to keep it cold.”
Buczek praised the event saying, “It’s an opportunity for families and individuals of all ages to come out. Usually there’s a pretty great crowd because (it’s) a time when people are looking for some stuff to do because the holidays are over.”
“I think, too, because we’re having it at Longfellow this year, it makes it easier for a lot of people to come,” Crane added. “It’s right in the middle of the neighborhood so it’s easy for people to walk to, easy for people to park. They can park around the park itself.”
Myrna Petlicki is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
