Sunshine brought the crowd to Downtown Winterfest Sunday
With the sun shining and the air filled with tantalizing smells of fried onions and hot dogs on the grill, Downtown Winterfest began Sunday morning with a strong and steady number of people flowing into downtown Prince George.
Hundreds gathered to join in many activities, including the road hockey shinny that saw the Cariboo Cougars and the Spruce Kings take to the street with everyone welcome to take their best shot on goal. People took turns on the ice slide, while passersby couldn’t resist sampling the many s’mores that were made by a variety of groups and local businesses in a friendly competition to see who had the best recipe for the classic campfire treat.
The minirail Cottonwood Express quickly filled up with eager travelers looking for a little train adventure. DJ Ant blasted popular tunes out to the gathering crowd as people boogied their way past him.
There were two indoor markets that hosted local wares, so when the outside got too frosty people made their way indoors to thaw out a bit.
Many people wanted to see what it was like to make themselves comfortable on the ice throne that was sculpted just in time for the outdoor festival providing a great photo op, while there were many selfies taken to show off participation during the event that took place around city hall.
“We didn’t know what the weather was going to be like but it’s a beautiful day and it’s actually a lot warmer than what we originally thought (as temperatures hovered around -10 C at midday) and the sun is shining so more and more people are showing up,” Colleen Van Mook, executive director of Downtown Prince George, said.
There were smiles all around from those participating in the activities and one especially cheery family just couldn’t stop smiling throughout their time at the festival.
“This is our first time here and it’s pretty awesome,” Kelsey Leighton, a 10-year resident, said about the second annual Winterfest. “My kid loves it.”
She attended the event with husband Garrett, two-year-old son, Kadex, and nine-month-old Bella who stayed snug in her stroller.
“Kadex liked the slide the best and the runner up would be the train,” Garrett said. “Every time he sees it he says ‘choo choo’.”
Kelsey said the family was really enjoying the sights and sounds and the smell of the food was proving too tempting to resist as they headed off to find lunch.
“We’re thinking for next time we’ll invest in snowsuits for ourselves, not just for the kids,” Kelsey laughed, indicating the snow piles towering over her head.