Winter Fest in Vernon Hills

Sometimes winter is a good thing. Especially if you hold a program packed full of activities surrounding cold and snow.

The Vernon Hills Park District hosted its Winter Fest on Saturday at Century Park North. An ice sculpting show, dog sled demonstrations and ice skating were all part of this free family event.

Participants kept warm in the pavilion where concessions were offered during the three-hour event.

This is the second year of Winter Fest, which highlights the facilities on the north end of Century Park, the largest in the Vernon Hills Park District system.

“We had this void of an outdoor winter event, and since we invested in the ice rink and pavilion and the whole Century Park north corridor, there’s a lot of activities that can take place,” said Jeff Fougerousse, executive director.

Participants enjoyed both the ice rink and the sled hill during the event. There’s a fire pit where staff made s’mores. Hundreds of people attended.

“I think it’s just a cool thing,” Fougerousse said, adding the temperature in the 20s and snow flurries were the perfect weather for this type of event.