Winter can often feel like it is dragging on forever, and cooler weather makes it difficult to get out and enjoy some fresh air. We often find ourselves going into our own versions of “hibernation”, especially in the January and February stretch.
The City of Martensville hosts Winter Fun Fest each year in order to provide an opportunity for local residents to get out and spend a day participating in some family friendly winter activities. This year, the event will be held on February 2nd from 2pm-6:30pm at the North Ridge Community Centre. Admission for the event will be by donation to the local KidSport program.
A wide variety of activities will be offered, both inside and outside. Indoor options include inflatables, balloon fun, crafts, Singing with Sylvia, games, soap carving and more. Outdoor options include skating, street hockey, kick sledding, sleigh rides (weather depending), a hot dog roast and the popular tree burning and fireworks to end the evening.
New this year is Crokicurl, which has been growing in popularity within other communities. “We thought we would hop on the bandwagon and give it a shot. It is the rules of Crokinole with the game of curling combined. If it goes over well and people are enjoying it, the City plans to bring it back for the entire winter season next year,” Karly Russin, City of Martensville Program Coordinator, explained.
For this year, the Crokicurl rink will be a smaller version to use as a test run, and as Russin explained, if it proves to be a popular addition to the community, a full version will be created for next winter. For those that are interested in trying out the game, it is located next to the outdoor skating area across from North Ridge Community Centre.
“Thank you to all of our sponsors. Without them, events like this would not be possible, so we cannot express our thanks enough. Although the weather can be unpredictable when planning these kinds of events, we encourage everyone to come out and brave the cold for what is sure to be a very fun day. If it is cold, people can go inside and have a cup of hot chocolate to warm up, or grab a seat by the fire for some extra heat. There will be lots to do for everyone, so don’t let the weather be a deterrent,” Russin said.
