1/31/2015 - WinterFest Scheduled for January 31st
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE JANUARY 5, 2015
6TH ANNUAL WINTERFEST SCHEDULED
Mayor Shayne R. Gallo announced this week that the City of Kingston Parks and Recreation Department and the Friends of Forsyth Nature Center will host the 6th Annual WinterFest on Saturday, January 31st from 10 am-2 pm at Kingston’s Hasbrouck Park on Delaware Avenue.
“Winter is a wonderful time of year in Kingston and we are lucky to be able to offer WinterFest to our residents and visitors. This family-friendly event showcases what our Parks and Recreation Department and its supporting not-for-profit offers, even in the colder winter months and promotes outdoor recreation and fitness, all part of our LiveWell Kingston campaign,” said Mayor Shayne Gallo.
“This event began as a way to get the community outside and active during the winter, and has grown in popularity each year. Since its inception, hundreds of people learned how to snowshoe and took a winter hike, many for the first time,” said Kevin Gilfeather, Superintendent of the Kingston Parks and Recreation Department.
During WinterFest, participants will be able to attend one of three snowshoe instructional classes and hike through Kingston’s Hasbrouck Park. The guided snowshoeing hikes will include a lesson on the history of snowshoeing, basics of learning the sport, animal tracking, winter survival and fun. Guided hikes will take place at 11 am, 12 noon and 1 pm, led by Parks and Recreation Department Environmental Educator, Julie Noble. Snowshoes will be provided to those interested in participating. Classes are first come, first serve and are appropriate for youth and adults, novices or advanced snow shoers. An added feature during the WinterFest will be guided bird walks at Kingston Point Park, which is located a few minutes away from Hasbrouck Park. Participants can meet at the Rotary Park Entrance Gates on Delaware Avenue. The walks will depart at 10:15 am and 12:15 pm. This event will also depend on the weather. All participants should dress for the weather and wear warm clothes and winter footwear.
The hikes through Hasbrouck Park will lead the participant on trails, built decades ago, recently refurbished with the help of Creating Healthy Places to Live Work and Play. These rustic trails lead us through a journey, literally, up a hill. Hasbrouck Park, Kingston’s largest, is home to a variety of animals including deer, fox, squirrels, chipmunks, birds and even a bear once in a while! While on the hike, participants will watch for signs of wildlife including tracks, scat, fur, rubbings and other telltale signs of winter.
After spending sometime outside, everyone will need a place to warm up and all are welcome to join the fun inside the Hasbrouck Park Stone Building. Built in 1919, this location will have a variety of children’s arts and crafts as well as warm beverages and food to munch on.
Admission to this event is free though certain crafts and food have nominal fees which will help support the Friends of Forsyth Nature Center, a not-for-profit organization which supports the mission of the Forsyth Nature Center.
In the event of no snow or poor snow conditions, the program will be cancelled. For directions to Hasbrouck Park, please visit www.kingstonparksandrec.org. This event is part of the Department’s Use Your Parks Campaign, sponsored by Cornell Cooperative Extension’s, Creating Healthy Places Program.