DuPage forest preserve offers cabin fever cure at Wonders of Winter

On a weekend where football is king, visitors to the Mayslake Peabody Estate in Oak Brook on Saturday were able to participate in winter activities with considerably less hype.

The free Wonders of Winter open house, sponsored by the DuPage County Forest Preserve District, gave participants a chance to spend some time outside taking a horse-drawn sleigh ride, checking out some birds of prey and even making s'mores around an open fire. And they could duck inside Mayslake Hall for games, crafts and even tours.

Organizers said the event is designed to cure "cabin fever" while introducing more people to the wonders of the forest preserves.

"It seems like they have a lot for everybody to do here. We weren't sure what to expect coming out and it's a beautiful day so we were just planning on being outdoors the whole time, " said Jack Stanley of Western Springs. "I love all the hands-on activities they have for the kids. They seem to be enjoying themselves and I'm definitely glad we came. "

"This is the 15th year of this event. It's a great cross-section of winter recreational activities that the public can participate in at the forest preserve district," said Justin Frederick, manager of site operations for the Forest Preserve District of DuPage County. Frederick noted that attendance was down this year due to a lack of snow.