Justin Medve
Beaver Staff
The Napanee Winter Chill Festival was a one-stop shop for Family Day fun as the Strathcona Paper Centre hosted a variety of activities for youth Monday.
The day started with a laugh and a few gasps as stunt ventriloquist Tim Holland and his puppet friends took the banquet hall stage from 11 a.m. until noon.But it would have been hard to gather everybody in one spot after that.
Outside, wagon rides provided by Mack Horse Sales saw plenty of passengers braving a light rain to take part.
Greater Napanee Fire Services roasted marshmallows nearby, an activity that local mom Amber MeyerDunn said she noticed was more than a simple treat.
“They’re encouraging fire safety but doing something fun,” she said.
Cotton candy was another sweet on hand, freshly spun by volunteers from Century 21 – the primary sponsor of the event along with the Town of Greater Napanee.
For admission, attendees were only asked to bring a non-perishable food item for The Salvation Army and Morningstar Mission. Those donations quickly filled a hallway-long table. Face painting, balloon animals and a bouncy castle were also hits.
Greater Napanee youth program and special events assistant Bethany Lessard told the Beaver having different options keeps events like the Winter Chill Festival possible no matter the weather or attendance.
“We’ve got 13 or 14 events throughout the year and winter is definitely that kind of lull, so we like to keep the events – big or small – rolling,” Lessard said.
Families also took full advantage of a free skate. Another local mom, Ashley Lovelock, said she noticed plenty of new friendships form on the ice.
“Even the older kids – when a little one falls or is struggling, they tend to kind of go and help them up and help them out.”
Lessard also had an eye out for what youth took away from Napanee’s last big event this winter.
“Nothing but smiles and laughter on the kid’s faces – and that’s always the most important thing,” she said.