Winter Cities

[Earl Finkler]

We are in the midst of a long weekend of spring festival in Barrow, Alaska, despite temperatures around five below zero and a brisk wind chill of 25 below.
Activities take place mostly on the ice and snow covered lagoon in the middle of town. They include a golf match tomorrow, played with orange balls on a course of holes augured into the ice. And the clubhouse is a nice warm SUV that parks by the first hole.
Also a "home run derby" where folks of all ages his softballs and plastic balls off a tee out onto the ice.
And competition for individuals and teams in setting up a campsite on the ice, or throwing a harpoon. And a big parade thru town.
My wife Chris and I and Greenland Husky Nuna did a guided tour of our 1-mile outdoor scale model of the solar system.
Lots of fun. And so good to get everyone outside after a long winter.
What are some of you in colder areas doing in terms of such activities?
Slightly frost-bitten Earl

[nerudite]

Despite a history of frigid temperatures this time of year, Edmonton is experiencing a heat wave this spring, and almost all of our snow is gone. We even had open water on our rivers/lakes in February this year.

I don't know of too many festivals or events that we have outside in Edmonton, other than the small weekend events at Sir Winston Churchill Square downtown. At New Year's there is a festival (first night or something) that is downtown, both outdoors and running through the pedestrian tunnels. There are a few outdoor skating rinks in the plazas around city hall and the legislative grounds. St. Albert also has a big fireworks show over the hills next to the Sturgeon River. Very good show I hear.

Edmonton has the perfect weather for outdoor festivals too. It's cold, but very dry. Clear and sunny most of the winter. We should do something like Moscow's winter festival... now *that* is amazing.