Airdrie’s residents can escape the winter blues at the City’s second Cabin Fever festival over the Family Day long weekend.
“A lot of the community tends to just want to stay inside, and it's very natural for people to do that, so we're just trying to expose community gatherings and connect again during the winter season,” said Kristen Shima from Airdrie’s special events team. “That's why it's special because it provides a really nice platform to reconnect during the cooler times of year.”
Activities part of the festival include things people may not otherwise be able to experience, she said, such as ice carving, cross country skiing, or curling.
The city-wide festival kicks off on Saturday, Feb. 17, with Cocoa Fever Downtown. Between 15 and 17 downtown businesses will have hot chocolate stations or pop up shops with other chocolate concoctions, as well as a contest.
Three events will be taking place on Saturday afternoon at Chinook Winds Regional Park. Those include a retro 80's & 90's pop-up party with sledding and DJ music at the toboggan hill, a nordic cross-country ski day with free-to-use equipment hosted by the Airdrie Nordic Club at the lower baseball diamond, and an outdoor version of the Backyard Play program hosted by Genesis Place.
At the same time, Airdronians can enjoy a fire and ice skating party at Nose Creek Regional Park, alongside horse wagon rides, fire dancers, bonfires, snacks, and ice carving.
The following day, Feb. 18, will feature a curling "Try It" day at the Airdrie Curling Club where residents can drop by for a brief introduction to the sport of curling.
On the holiday Monday, the annual Frostbite Run at Iron Horse Park will feature a winter scene and train rides in support of the Airdrie Food Bank.
Lastly, retro-rink vibes with laser lights, haze, and music will form the Funky Family Day Skate at the Plainsmen arena on Monday for $5 per person.
The City hopes to build on the Cabin Fever festival and continue hosting it annually.
For more information and updates, visit airdrie.ca/cabinfever
