Barrie’s Hello Winter festival kicks off this weekend.
The event is taking place in lieu of Winterfest and will feature six weeks of fun, engaging and safe activities to help residents and visitors enjoy the season in the city.
“This year, Hello Winter’s theme focuses on light, to brighten the cold season and inspire a sense of hope,” says Steve Lee-Young, Manager of Recreation Programs. “By spreading the event out over February and March and re-creating classic Winterfest favourites, we are able to safely offer experiences that celebrate what winter has to offer in our city.”
Along the theme of light, Hello Winter will feature temporary light-based art installations, including digital art projected in downtown public spaces, (displayed February 18 to March 20) and an interactive installation called Chimes (displayed February 20 to March 20), which will fill Meridian Place with a symphony of sound and light.
Additional Hello Winter activity highlights include:
- Ice sculptures celebrating winter’s natural beauty, displayed at Meridian Place and Heritage Park February 5 and 6;
- A skating party with a live DJ and light show at Circle at the Centre on the evening of February 11;
- An enchanted winter trail through Sunnidale Park from February 5 to 13;
- An online ‘Community Sculpture Challenge’, where residents are invited to build creative creations and submit pictures to an online map, opening February 18;
- A Family Day adventure featuring a variety of outdoor activities at the Barrie Community Sports Complex on February 21.
Throughout Hello Winter, the City will also activate several community parks throughout Barrie with engaging nature-based, pop-up programming, called ‘Nature in Winter’. For additional recreational opportunities throughout the winter, the City’s trails and outdoor rinks are also open.
Specific activity details – including times and registration requirements – will be posted to barrie.ca/HelloWinter as they are announced. Hello Winter is funded in part by the Government of Ontario through the 2021 Reconnect Festival & Event Program.
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