The rescheduling of the Park District of Oak Park’s annual winter fest brought the perfect opportunity to bring a small piece of the Winter Olympics to Austin Gardens.
The event was originally scheduled for late January, but it was postponed until Feb. 10 due to less-than-ideal conditions.
“It was 55 degrees that day, but it was much more wintery this weekend,” special event supervisor Susan Crane said. “It was also great timing with the Olympics. When we rescheduled, we had this date in mind and Mother Nature cooperated.”
Guests at Austin Gardens were able to enjoy a flurry of winter-themed activities, including ice skating, bubble soccer, campfires with s’mores and crafts.
“We took plush snowballs and, just like dodgeball, had a little battle going on,” Crane said. “On one side of the rink we had ‘dogsled races,’ which involved two people. One person had to be the dog and the other the musher.”
Having winter fest the same weekend as the season’s largest snowfall did present some challenges, but it also provided an ideal atmosphere for the 300 people who attended the event.
“To have it in the snow was really nice,” Crane said. “When we were mapping out obstacle courses, the snow was up to our knees. My staff had to pad down the course for our sled races. People had a great time. It was perfect.”
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