Banish Your Winter Blues at the Burlington Winter Festival

It’s no secret that winters seem to last a lot longer in Burlington, Vermont. With early snowfalls in October, and occasional storms in April, there’s just no telling when residents will be able to cast off their bulky coats and have some fun in the sun. And although locals know that there’s no shortage of skiing and snowboarding opportunities in the area, these winter pastimes are not the ideal option for everybody. That’s why this February, Burlington Parks and Recreation will put on the annual Winter Festival, a great way for the community to say “Goodbye!” to cabin fever.
For 18 years, the Winter Festival has been involving the community in a day of fun, family-friendly winter events. A popular and long running event is the Snow Sculpting Competition and Ice Walk. This year’s festival marks the 15th year since the competition became officially sanctioned by the Association International de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace. The winner of the competition will go on represent Vermont in the National Snow Sculpting competition in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The Ice Walk, separate from the Snow Sculpting Competition, consists of local artists carving ice sculptures in front of the businesses on Burlington’s Church St. Marketplace.
The ice and snow will be provided by Creed Ice and the local Public Works Department, and brought in the morning of the event. Ice sculptors will create their works of art in front of onlookers, and when the carvings are complete, they will be lit with floodlights. Maria Tomry, a UVM intern working on the Ice Walk, adds, “We’ve hired security through Saturday night,” pointing out that vandalism can be an issue on Church Street, particularly late at night when the bar crowd roams free.
This year, the expected turn out is 4,000 to 6,000 people, about the typical turnout for the combined Winter Festival events. Because the snow and ice sculptures are displayed on Church Street, those unaware of the festivities are pleasantly surprised by the often larger-than-life works of art. “Chris Fish, a pretty prominent local ice sculpture, usually gets the biggest showcase,” Maria said, adding, “Other artists do logos, and smaller pieces.”
Planning the Winter Festival starts as early as September of the year before, when UVM’S Community Development and Applied Economics Department assembles its event planning class, compromised of about 20 - 25 students. A two week class over winter break allows the CDAED Class to get better prepared. “We get into teams, focus on different aspects of the planning, and then about five or six students work really closely on the project,” says Maria of her event planning class. They work closely with Nancy Bove, from Burlington Parks and Recreation, and Ron Redmond, of the Church Street Marketplace. The Burlington Winter Festival is a community effort.
The [ECHO Center and Vermont Special Olympics also get involved, and hold a Family Expo at the ECHO Center, and a Penguin Plunge down at the waterfront. Local radio stations will be present at both locations, and speakers will be set up along Church St. to play music for attendees. This year, Kool 105 and 99.9 The Buzz will lend their support to the Ice Walk. “We very much support the Church Street Marketplace,” says Promotions director Wendy Mays. Local businesses on Church Street like to get involved, and increased traffic in the marketplace gives a nice customer boost to businesses who don’t see as much winter patronage.
The driving force behind the Winter Festival is UVM’s event planning class, guided by the CDAED. Students work hands on to organize sponsors, radio support, and encourage local businesses to participate. This year, the UVM TopCats will perform at the top of Church Street, which is also the location of the ice sculpting competition. “With this season’s weather, we didn’t have the snow required for snow sculptures,” event organizer Jessica Hymen says. “But we were approved [by the Association International de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace] to subsitute ice.” The traditional format still applies, with the sculptors given Thursday, Friday and Saturday to work on their piece, and judging and Peoples Choice will take place during the Winter Festival on Saturday afternoon.
The Winter Festival is not only a chance for UVM and local businesses to come together as a community effort, but it’s also a great opportunity for Burlington citizens to get out and about during the gray winter months. From snow and ice sculpting demonstrations, to local artwork, local music, and brave locals jumping into Lake Champlain, there’s cold weather fun to be found at the Burlington Winter Festival.
Grace Spain