What is more fun than sledding down a hill in the winter?
How about three days of fun on a giant snow-covered hill on the westside of Grand Rapids as we welcome three great ways to enjoy WinterWest this year.
The festivities kick off on Friday evening with a brand new event, the Adult and Corporate Crazy Cardboard Sled Race, presented by Long Road Distillers. This new pay-to-sleigh Friday event is a partnership between Friends of Grand Rapids Parks and Grand Rapids Sports and Social Club. With your $40, you and your teammates can vie for Red Wings hockey tickets, a private tasting and tour at Long Road Distillers, Long Road Distillers gift cards, and five Long Road Distillers shirts. (See a trend….it is near Long Road Distillers.)
So, maybe a paid competition is not your thing?
No worries, you can exercise your creative side at the heated Richmond Park lodge where, between 1 and 4pm and sips of hot chocolate and coffee from Operations Systems Technologies, you can build a Kids’ Crazy Cardboard Sled that you can test out on Saturday before returning to race in the free race on Sunday.
Your neighborhood WinterWest weekend concludes with the big event of the weekend – the Kids’ Crazy Cardboard Sled Race.
On Sunday at 1pm, West Michigan Credit Union will be handing out prizes for first, second and third place finishers to those who are able to battle it out in at least two heats of competition. First, second and third place prizes will also be awarded for the most creative sled designs.
Registration and additional information for the event can be found at the
WinterWest Facebook page or
www.friendsofgrparks.org.
And lest you think the weekend is just about sliding down the hill, the
WGRD Pond Hockey Classic, presented by
Labatt Blue and
Dematic, will be back at Richmond Park as a part of WinterWest’s full roster of weekend activities.
The Pond Classic opening ceremonies begin Friday at 5:45pm, with the first games of many games beginning at 6pm.
Games will also run on Saturday and Sunday. The registration has already closed on this year’s event, but this four-on-four style game is fast-moving.
Worried you won’t have time for a full hockey game? Then don’t fret, since these games are only 40 minutes long, consisting of two 20 minute halves with a two-minute break between halves.
All game periods are actual “running time,” (as in no stopping of the clock) and the winner is determined after the team scores three points. There will be three divisions of various degrees of experience, as well as a coed league.
“WinterWest continues to serve as a catalyst to show that our parks offer great experiences across all four seasons,” said Michael Lomonaco, Director of Marketing & Communications at OST and WinterWest committee member. “It’s one of those events that shows our community the myriad of possibilities thriving parks have to strengthen our neighborhoods.”
Admission: free