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Elkwater Winter Festival is a chance to try something new

Feb 4, 2017 | 4:00 PM

ELKWATER, AB — Hundreds of people attended the third annual Winter Festival in Elkwater today. The event started out in 2015 as a kick off for the 2016 Alberta Winter Games hosted in Medicine Hat and now it’s turning into an annual tradition.

“The city of Medicine Hat had a legacy fund and we applied for funding there to be able to continue this winter festival,” said Connie Matson, chair of the festival.

The annual festival gives visitors a chance to take part in all sorts of winter activities from sledding and luge, to skating and snow shoeing.

“It’s just great to get the kids outdoors, outside exercising, doing things and bringing families together,” said Matson.

 

 

The family event attracts people of all ages and even offers people a chance to try something new.

“We have beginner cross country ski lessons, on the hour every hour,” said Chris Dodds an Interpretive Education Coordinator at Cypress Hills park.

Dodds led one of those lessons which brought out 10 people trying out the sport for the first time.

“Super fun, super hard, said Sarah McIntyre who attended the event with her family.

“I didn’t expect that, and lots of falling, but fun,” she added with a laugh.

Harrison Lawson and his younger brother Jeroen were also in the class to learn something new.

“I consider myself a pretty athletic person, like I do a lot of sports, this was a real work out,” he said.

“It was a lot of balance and moving.”

For those looking for something more relaxing there was also a craft sale, horse drawn carriage rides and a chance to warm up inside with free hot dogs and hot chocolate.

While the festival itself is only one day, Dodds says most of the activities are offered all winter long.

“I know sometimes in Medicine Hat there’s not a lot of snow on the ground, it can be brown but you’ve got to remember out in Elkwater we’re 700 metres higher and we get a lot more snow than you do,” he said.