Despite having to work around mild weather this season, the DeKalb Park District held the 2nd Annual Polarpalooza Winter Festival at Lions Park on February 14th. Originally scheduled for February 6th, the event had to be postponed due to warm weather and the absence of snow and ice. However, the snowy weather on the rescheduled date made for a great winter backdrop to the event.
The free community event included ice skating and a variety of other winter activities including snowman decorating, cross country skiing, and bird watching hikes. Demonstrations included figure skating by NIU Figure Skating Club, hockey by NIU Hockey Club, and dog sledding by Ravens Husky Haven & Rescue.
“People enjoy an event that brings people together outside where they can be active,” said Amy Doll, Superintendent of Recreation. “Our goal is to introduce the community to activities they can enjoy outside in the winter, and we wanted to build on the momentum from last year and get people in to the parks.”