Burlington Winter Festival

The Family Expo will feature activities, games, exhibits and crafts. Come and see for yourself as the Radisson Hotel Burlington opens its doors to provide the indoor component of the Burlington Winter Festival 2002. It’s a great place to warm up after checking out the activities at Waterfront Park or start out here before heading down to the Waterfront.

Meet and dance with ‘Champ’ from 11 am to 2 pm. Games include Banknorth's Snowflake Shuffleboard, Make your own Snowflake, an inflatable obstacle course, recycle art, llamas and animals from Shelburne Farms. Admission is $1. There is also a free Kids’ Vermont Camp and School Fair, where you can Pick a camp or school program for your child. Sixty schools and camps represented. Free.

Music and Drama at the Burlington Community Boathouse

Jenni Johnson and the Junketeers with guest 'Big Joe Burrell' and youth musicians from area schools will perform at the Boathouse Cabaret at 4:30 pm on 2/15/03. The original.......and Will Patton on acoustic bass and mandolin. Swing, funk, jazz and blues to keep your spirits warm! UPSIDE - a special youth group of students from Brown's River Middle School and Camel's Hump Middle School, will join the band with trumpet, sax, and Ohio keyboardist Camuel Cross. A great mix of generations! Free. 4:30 to 7:30.

The No Strings Marionette Company will put on two plays with string puppets. In 2002 they did, "Jack and the Beanstalk," which is a playful retelling of the well-loved tale, featuring fourteen hand-crafted marionettes romping through lush and magical landscapes. People have always wanted a means of ascending to the sky, and Jack finds his way via three magical beans. But will he have the inquiring mind, courage and enterprise to see this adventure through? The show is intended for audiences of all ages. We invite you to be drawn into a world where your imagination is the guide. The plays are usually on the second floor of the boat house on Saturday afternoon around 11:30 and 2:00.

Kids on the Block Vermont puppet shows at 11:30 and 2:00 at the Burlington Community Boathouse. On Sunday 2/16 see Steve Groton's juggling show at 11:00 am.

There are usually also music show on Sunday afternoon as well. In 2002, it was MARCUS THE MUSIC MAN!! Marcus Gale presents an innovative approach to American music with original performances. His music is for everyone! Join the fun. Performances are generally around NOON and 2:00 PM. Free admission courtesy of some sponsor, which be advertised at the event.

Waterfront Snow Activities

The Waterfront will be teeming with activities. View the Vermont State Snow Sculpture Competition first hand and see the amazing transformations that take place under the skillful hands of each team. There are mounds of snow and playground activities; snowshoes to tryout on a mini obstacle course; a broomball tournament; wagon rides and Champlain Flyer train rides with entertainment on board ($2 roundtrip ticket). Actually the Flyer runs year-around from Burlington to Charlotte for a buck each way. You can check out their web site at http://www.champlainflyer.com/ to see the train schedule. Don’t miss the action in Waterfront Park.

Vermont’s Own Sanctioned Snow Sculpture Competition

We are Vermont’s officially sanctioned snow sculpture competition! Teams from around the state will compete in Burlington for the right to represent Vermont in the national competition in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin in 2002. Junior teams and demonstration teams will also be sculpting! This is really wonderful for spectators, too!!

Burlington received the exclusive sanction from WinterFun, Inc. which is the only organization authorized by the Association International de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace to hold sanctioned State, National and International Snow Sculpting Competitions in the United States. Association International de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace is a group of 10 member nations that all produce international competitions and is the exclusive sanctioning body for the Olympic Winter Games Arts Festival International Snow Sculpting Competition.

Our winning team from last February was in Lake Geneva last week for the competition. Information about the national competition as well as progress reports from this year’s competition can be found at the following web site www.winterfun.com. Visit the site and see what the rest of the country is doing with snow!!

Judging will be on Sunday by a selected team from the area using the following guidelines: Creativity - Originality of expression and research (50 points) , Techniques - Utilization of materials, team cohesiveness, and excellence in execution (30 points), Message - Visual force of message presented (20 points)

Awards will be given out as follows:

• 1st Place - Vermont Champion’s Award - Automatic entry and hosted trip to the National Competition
• 2nd Place - Alternate to National Competition & Mayor’s Award
• 3rd Place - City of Burlington Award
• Novice Category - Winner for first time competitors only.
• Sculptor’s Choice and People’s Choice
• Junior Category - Winner for junior team.

The public can vote for People’s Choice on Sunday, from 10:00 am to Noon. We invite everyone to come to the Waterfront and watch these sculptors work. The award ceremony is in the Burlington Community Boathouse at 1:00 pm.

Introduction to Snow shoeing and Obstacle Course Romp. Vermont City Marathon ‘Many Milers’ Bonus Mileage Day. Saturday, 10:00 AM to 11:00 AM. Join Skirack and Vermont City Marathon Many Milers Running Program for an introduction to snow shoeing and a fun romp on the obstacle course. All ages are welcome.

Skirack Snowshoe Demos Saturday and Sunday, 11:00 to 3:00 PM. Tryout snowshoes! Give the Obstacle course a whirl or just romp around the Waterfront. Sponsored by Atlas Snowshoes.

YMCA TEEN POOL NIGHT for Middle School Students on Saturday from 5:00 to 7:00 pm. Music provided by Supersounds DJ. Free Admission and tropical drinks served poolside. Sponsored by the Burlington YMCA.

242 MAIN STREET - 2/15/03. Doors open at 7:00 pm. Admission $5. High Energy, eclectic rock show featuring: Rock and Roll by SUBSIDE; Industrial Rock by CHAINSAWS AND CHILDREN; and Indie Rock by PERFECT

Weather permitting there will be unsupervised ice skating available during the winter months at: Roosevelt Park, Calahan Park, Battery Park, Starr Farm Park and at the Skate Park Ice Rink.

Vermont Special Olympics Penguin Plunge

There is an annual Penguin Plunge At 11:00 AM. in the Waterfront Park next to the Coast Guard station. The Air is 15 degrees, The Water is 8 degrees. And icicles are hanging off your speedo!

It’s the middle of February, the air is cold, the snow is deep and the lake is frozen. What a great time to go for a swim! Join fellow brave souls for a Plunge into invigorating Lake Champlain at 11:00 am on Saturday, February 16, 2002. You’ll benefit a worthy cause, Special Olympics Vermont, while also getting great prizes and proving to your friends that you’re not the total wimp they think you are. Click here for more information and more photos.