Dog sled races at Snow Days Chicago

You can always count on Chicago weather in January to be cold, with chilly winds, lots of snow and temperatures that rarely go above the freezing mark. But in spite all of this, the snow is still worth celebrating. Just when the weather gets colder, that’s when things really heat up in the Windy City.

This January, Snow Days Chicago will return to Navy Pier’s Gateway Park, just west of the Navy Pier entrance. So prepare for a 3-day winter festival and get ready to play in the snow from January 28 until January 30.

Events include snow sculpting competitions, dog sled competitions, snowboard rail jam, kids activities, live entertainment at the family pavilion inside Navy Pier and much, much more. You can watch 15 teams of high school and professional ice sculptors gather to create incredible sculpting masterpieces out of 10 ft. blocks of ice and snow in Gateway Park, across from the Navy Pier entrance. Teams from Chicago, Canada, Bulgaria, Russia, Mexico and China will compete based on the sketch drawings that they submitted.

And you mustn’t miss the Dog Sled Competition. This year, Green Valley Dog Drivers will demonstrate the details of dog sled racing. Dogs are allowed at Snow Days Chicago, but not inside of Navy Pier. After all the freezing fun, relax at the Affinia Hotel, which offers a special Snow Days Chicago package. It includes a customized room for two, breakfast for two at top chef Marcus Samuelsson’s C-House and a trolley ride to and from Navy Pier.

This free festival runs from 11 a.m.-8 p.m on Friday and Saturday and 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Sunday and admission is free. Navy Pier is centrally located in downtown Chicago so you won’t have any problems finding transportation or parking garages. The festival is also wheelchair accessible, with courtesy wheelchairs available on a first come, first served basis.

Bring the whole family and enjoy The 2012 Snow Days Chicago, a winter wonderland festival for people of all ages. But make sure you dress warm and don’t forget to bring a camera to capture all the unique sculptures of ice and snow. For more information visit www.snowdayschicago.us

Related articles

• Winter Wonderfest at Navy Pier (rentcafe.com)