HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Winterfest is the name of several winter festivals held in various locations in North America.


Cedar Fair parks

WinterFest is a seasonal event held at
Cedar Fair Cedar Fair, L.P., formally Cedar Fair Entertainment Company, is a publicly traded master limited partnership headquartered at its Cedar Point amusement park in Sandusky, Ohio. The company owns and operates eleven amusement parks, nine included- ...
amusement parks, an event that enables the parks to remain open during the months of November and December. As of 2019, seven Cedar Fair parks have hosted WinterFest events, including California's Great America in
Santa Clara, California Santa Clara (; Spanish for " Saint Clare") is a city in Santa Clara County, California. The city's population was 127,647 at the 2020 census, making it the eighth-most populous city in the Bay Area. Located in the southern Bay Area, the cit ...
;
Canada's Wonderland Canada's Wonderland, formerly known as Paramount Canada's Wonderland, is a amusement park located in Vaughan, Ontario, a municipality within the Greater Toronto Area. Opened in 1981 by the Taft Broadcasting Company and the Great-West Life As ...
in
Vaughan Vaughan () (2021 population 323,103) is a city in Ontario, Canada. It is located in the Regional Municipality of York, just north of Toronto. Vaughan was the fastest-growing municipality in Canada between 1996 and 2006 with its population increas ...
,
Ontario Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central Ca ...
; Carowinds in
Charlotte Charlotte ( ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of North Carolina. Located in the Piedmont region, it is the county seat of Mecklenburg County. The population was 874,579 at the 2020 census, making Charlotte the 16th-most populo ...
;
King's Dominion Kings Dominion is an amusement park located in Doswell, Virginia, north of Richmond and south of Washington, D.C. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park opened to the public on May 3, 1975, and features more than 60 rides, shows and attr ...
in
Doswell, Virginia Doswell is an unincorporated area, unincorporated community in Hanover County, Virginia, Hanover County in the Central Region of the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. Originally called Hanover Junction, it was located on t ...
;
Kings Island Kings Island is a amusement park located northeast of Cincinnati in Mason, Ohio, United States. Owned and operated by Cedar Fair, the park first opened in 1972 by the Taft Broadcasting Company. It was part of a larger effort to move and expan ...
in
Mason, Ohio Mason is a city in southwestern Warren County, Ohio, United States, approximately north of downtown Cincinnati. As of the 2020 census, Mason's population was 34,792. Mason is home to Kings Island amusement park and one of the largest tennis stad ...
; and
Worlds of Fun Worlds of Fun is an entertainment complex with more than 235 acres located in Kansas City, Missouri. It is the largest amusement park and water park in the Midwest. Founded by American businessmen Lamar Hunt and Jack Steadman, the park opened in ...
in
Kansas City, Missouri Kansas City (abbreviated KC or KCMO) is the largest city in Missouri by population and area. As of the 2020 census, the city had a population of 508,090 in 2020, making it the 36th most-populous city in the United States. It is the central ...
. WinterFest events are typically themed with light displays, and includes seasonal foods, ice skating rinks, and performances by the ''
Peanuts ''Peanuts'' is a print syndication, syndicated daily strip, daily and Sunday strip, Sunday American comic strip written and illustrated by Charles M. Schulz. The strip's original run extended from 1950 to 2000, continuing in reruns afterward. ' ...
'' characters.
Snowmaking Snowmaking is the production of snow by forcing water and pressurized air through a "snow gun", also known as a "snow cannon". Snowmaking is mainly used at ski resorts to supplement natural snow. This allows ski resorts to improve the reliabilit ...
machines are also used at these parks to create snow for the event.


Fort Lauderdale, Florida

The annual Winterfest in
Fort Lauderdale, Florida Fort Lauderdale () is a coastal city located in the U.S. state of Florida, north of Miami along the Atlantic Ocean. It is the county seat of and largest city in Broward County with a population of 182,760 at the 2020 census, making it the tenth ...
, produces the Seminole Hard Rock Winterfest Boat Parade which is tagged the "Greatest Show on H2O" - founded in 1971, this annual boat parade and festival has earned the title, "The World's Most Watched Boat Parade." Celebrity
grand marshal Grand marshal is a ceremonial, military rank, military, or political office of very high rank. The term has its origins with the word "marshal" with the first usage of the term "grand marshal" as a ceremonial title for certain religious orders. ...
s and 100 decorated boats entertain 1 million spectators along the 12-mile waterway parade route in December.


Lowell, Massachusetts

The annual Winterfest in
Lowell, Massachusetts Lowell () is a city in Massachusetts, in the United States. Alongside Cambridge, It is one of two traditional seats of Middlesex County. With an estimated population of 115,554 in 2020, it was the fifth most populous city in Massachusetts as of ...
, is a
festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
that started in 2001. The two-day festival is held following
Super Bowl The Super Bowl is the annual final playoff game of the National Football League (NFL) to determine the league champion. It has served as the final game of every NFL season since 1966, replacing the NFL Championship Game. Since 2022, the game ...
week in downtown Lowell. Events include the
Human Dog Sled Competition The Human Dog Sled Competition is an event held in February during the Winterfest celebration of Lowell, Massachusetts, USA. Each year, a field of approximately 32 teams compete against each other in a double elimination tournament to determine ...
, in which six-person teams dressed in wacky costumes compete for titles ranging from fastest team to best dressed. The Human Dog Sled Competition was recognized by
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA; , stylized as PeTA) is an American animal rights nonprofit organization based in Norfolk, Virginia, and led by Ingrid Newkirk, its international president. PETA reports that PETA entities have ...
(PETA) in 2003 for its animal-friendly approach to winter fun. In the
Soup Soup is a primarily liquid food, generally served warm or hot (but may be cool or cold), that is made by combining ingredients of meat or vegetables with stock, milk, or water. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ing ...
Bowl Competition, local restaurant chefs create original recipes that are rated by festival attendees. Other Winterfest activities include children's entertainment, hot food, drink, live music, free ice skating at Tsongas Arena, a hay ride, a snowman building contest, and an art show of works by local artists. Musical performers have included the Joshua Tree. The festival ends with a fireworks display that organizers claim rivals those on the
Fourth of July Independence Day (colloquially the Fourth of July) is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the Declaration of Independence, which was ratified by the Second Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, establishing the United States ...
.


Beloit, Wisconsin

Similar to Lowell, Massachusetts', Winterfest, the Beloit festival ranges in location from the
Eclipse Center Eclipse Center, formerly known as Beloit Plaza or Beloit Mall, is a mixed-use development and former shopping mall A shopping mall (or simply mall) is a North American term for a large indoor shopping center, usually anchored by department sto ...
to Riverside Park and downtown. Events include an indoor playland, ice skating on the lagoon, ice sculpting and toboggan races. All events take place in the city of Beloit.


Wausau, Wisconsin

The annual Winter Fest in
Wausau, Wisconsin Wausau ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marathon County, Wisconsin, United States. The Wisconsin River divides the city into east and west. The city's suburbs include Schofield, Weston, Mosinee, Maine, Rib Mountain, Kronenwetter, and ...
, is a
festival A festival is an event ordinarily celebrated by a community and centering on some characteristic aspect or aspects of that community and its religion or cultures. It is often marked as a local or national holiday, mela, or eid. A festival c ...
that was founded in 2012 by Wausau Events, Inc. Activities for all ages are offered at sites throughout downtown Wausau and typically include horse-drawn wagon rides, art projects, cookie decorating, a snow sculptures, ice skating, and more.


Gatlinburg, Tennessee

A festival in
Gatlinburg, Tennessee Gatlinburg is a mountain resort city in Sevier County, Tennessee, United States. It is located southeast of Knoxville and had a population of 3,944 at the 2010 Census and a U.S. Census population of 3,577 in 2020. It is a popular vacation res ...
, this Winterfest takes place from Friday, February 18 - Sunday, February 20. Unlike the other Winterfests, this one is mainly based around
Christian Christians () are people who follow or adhere to Christianity, a monotheistic Abrahamic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ. The words ''Christ'' and ''Christian'' derive from the Koine Greek title ''Christós'' (Χρι ...
fundamentals, as several churches come to the city and have three – 3 hour worship sessions on Friday night, Saturday afternoon, and Sunday morning. Usually, entertainment such as magicians or comedians will be brought in; besides the gatherings, visitors have periods of time for relaxation and recreation when they may go to places such as restaurants, arcades, and other fun activities.


Newaygo, Michigan

The annual Winterfest in Newaygo, is a
backyard wrestling Backyard wrestling (BYW), also referred to as yarding or backyarding, is an underground hobby and sport involving untrained practices of Professional wrestling, professional-style wrestling, typically in a low-budget environment, such as a backy ...
event started in 2002 as an annual major event put on by the Newaygo Wrestling Organization (nWo). Since its 2002 inception, the nWo has put on five more events, with the most recent in January 2011.


Coventry, Rhode Island

The annual Winterfest in
Coventry, Rhode Island Coventry is a town in Kent County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 35,688 at the 2020 census and is part of the . Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of . of it is land and of it ...
, is a bacchanalian celebration of the oppressive cold of New England winters. It is intended to bring the arrival of spring through drink and food.


Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Winterfest in Philadelphia is at the Blue Cross RiverRink, a skating rink and outdoor event facility located at
Penn's Landing Penn's Landing is a waterfront area of Center City Philadelphia along the Delaware River. Its name commemorates the landing of William Penn, the founder of Pennsylvania in 1682. The actual landing site is farther south in Chester, Pennsylvani ...
. During the winter months it hosts the Blue Cross RiverRink WinterFest, featuring winter-themed decorations, fire pits, and an outdoor beer garden. The first Winterfest was held in 2013, conceived by Avram Hornik of FCM Hospitality, who also owns the neighboring outdoor waterfront restaurant, Morgan's Pier. During the summer months, the ice rink is converted into a roller skating rink under the name SummerFest.


See also

*
Winterval Winterval was a season of public events in Birmingham, England, organised by Birmingham City Council in each of two consecutive winters: first from 20 November to 31 December 1997, and then again from mid-October 1998 to mid-January 1999. The in ...
- a controversial season of public events organised by the city council of
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
in 1997 and 1998 *
Winterlude Winterlude is an annual winter festival held in Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec (collectively known as the National Capital Region). Winterlude is run by the Department of Canadian Heritage and was started in 1979. The event is one of O ...
- a winter festival held annually in the Canadian National Capital Region *
Winter Formal A dance party (also referred to as a dance) is a social gathering where dancing is the primary activity. Some dance parties are held in a casual setting and open to the public, such as a rave, or those held in nightclubs. Other types of dance ...
- a high school event similar to
prom A promenade dance, commonly called a prom, is a dance party for high school students. It may be offered in semi-formal black tie or informal suit for boys, and evening gowns for girls. This event is typically held near the end of the school yea ...


References

{{Reflist


External links


Greater Merrimack Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau - Winterfest 2005Lowell WinterfestKansas City Public LibraryWausau Winter Fest
Festivals in Massachusetts Tourist attractions in Lowell, Massachusetts Festivals in Florida Tourist attractions in Fort Lauderdale, Florida Festivals in Michigan Tourist attractions in Newaygo County, Michigan Festivals in Wisconsin Tourist attractions in Rock County, Wisconsin Tourist attractions in Marathon County, Wisconsin Beloit, Wisconsin Winter festivals in the United States