By DAVID DUPONT
BG Independent News
Bowling Green celebrated winter the way it loves—with activities and beer on ice, song, food and child’s play, all in temperatures that weren’t all that winter-like.
BG Winterfest Chillabration ran from Friday through Sunday packed with activities in the park, community center, the ice arena and downtown. The event was a collaborative effort of the Bowling Green Convention and Visitors Bureau, the City Parks and Recreation Department, Wood County District Public Library. and the BGSU ice arena, which was celebrating the 50th anniversary of the ice arena.
Here’s just a sampling of the fun.
Olympic champion Scott Hamilton was back in the place he got his start. Jan McKnight greeted him before the 50th Anniversary Exhibition: 1967-2017 and asked to have him autograph an Ice Horizon program from 1973.
Also, back home was Alissa Czisny who participated in Generations featuring skaters of different ages including Niamh Lalor.
Jay Leahy of Ice Creations demonstrated his craft outside the Chillabration tent in downtown Bowling Green. The lot also featured a garden of ice sculptures sponsored by local businesses that were dripping away in the unseasonably mild temperatures.
Marsha Olivarez helps Braden Beck decorate a cookie during Cookie Creations for Kids as Braden’s little brother, Paxton, looks on. Below, the two boys enjoy the cookies they decorated.
Jazmine Pope works on making a slushy at the Break It Make It with Home Depot event at the Wood County District Public Library.
New this year for Winterfest was the Chillabration which served up adult beverages and a full night of some of BG’s favorite musical acts. Among those performing were Ginger and the Snaps (above), and below left, The Sunday Twirlers, Cole Christensen (left) and Tim Concannon, and, below right, Barry Johnson.
