Bragg Creek's Winter in the Woods Festival is back for its fourth year on Feb. 1, running from 11 a.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the Bragg Creek Community Centre (BCCA).
The festival is a yearly celebration that embraces the spirit of winter in all its glory. It is hosted by the BCCA.
The festival primarily focuses on fundraising for the hamlet’s beloved outdoor rink (the ODR) by featuring both on-ice and off-ice events for families.
“This year we are aiming to fundraise $15,000 to support a new project concept to add a Zamboni and upgrade our dressing room facilities,” Terri-Lynn Duque, the interim president of BCCA, said.
This year’s festival features both on ice and off ice activities for families. This year, the highlight of the event will be the junior classic hockey game of U11 kids, Bragg Creek Bears versus Diamond Valley. Followed with junior classic hockey skills competition and a game with Bear Kids versus Bears Parents.
“The proceeds from the previous three Winter in the Woods festivals, along with grants from Rocky View county, allowed us to resurface this asphalt at the Rink this past summer, leading to a smoother ice-making process and better year-round surface for non-ice activities like basketball and ball hockey,” Duque explained.
Duque shared that the Bragg Creek ODR is entirely handcrafted by volunteers. The volunteers not only built the ODR, but continue to maintain it.
Currently the ODR doesn’t have a zamboni or ice chillers. “It is 100 per cent old-school authentic natural ice, “ Duque said. “Which means its subject to melting during those chinooks we all love.”
The community volunteers pay it forward each season to build and maintain pristine ice for residents to enjoy.
The BCCA is entirely volunteer run and with the rapid growth of Bragg Creek community, new opportunities have opened up.
The BCCA is looking to fill two positions, one being the marketing coordinator and the second one is the rentals coordinator position.
“These two positions are integral in terms of bringing in additional revenue to the centre, which is important to us to create more events that bring the community together,” Duque stated.
To join the BCCA or learn more about the Winter in the Woods, visit their website.
