COURTNEY McCLURE The Standard
KAWARTHA LAKES: This year, Bobcaygeon's annual Frost Fest will be held over the Family Day Long weekend, leaving three days for frosty family fun.
Festivities start on Saturday, February 17th, lasting until Monday, February 19th. Highlights of the Bobcaygeon Frost Fest include outdoor and public skating and other outdoor activities.
In the past, the Frost Fest was a one-day event. However, after receiving feedback from the community, the organizers, Impact 32, decided to run the fest over the Family Day weekend in February.
Staying inside during winter can become boring. So many families look for various activities they can do together, whether the activities are outdoor or indoor. Similarly, the Bobcaygeon Frost Fest is usually a hit with families.
The purpose of Impact 32 is to create events during the “off-season” in Bobcaygeon to stimulate economic growth throughout the town. The group is made up of local business owners and volunteers from Bobcaygeon and is partnered with the Bobcaygeon & Chamber of Commerce.
One of the volunteers, from Impact 32, is Nicole Campbell. Her workplace, Ball Real Estate, is also organizing a free hot chocolate bar. Visitors will be able to make their own cup of hot chocolate using ingredients which are placed out by volunteers. There will also be other beverages available, like apple cider.
Ms. Campbell’s favourite part of the Frost Fest is volunteering for the activities geared towards kids. “It’s really nice to see people get outside,” she said.
In 2023, Ms. Campbell said, she was surprised to see many people she didn’t recognize. So, she assumed they were from outside of Bobcaygeon. “Cottage towns tend to be quiet in the winter,” she explained. “So it was nice to see the town super busy.”
The Frost Fest mainly attracts families. Many people who visit the Bobcaygeon Frost Frest aren’t from the larger City of Kawartha Lakes.
Impact 32 is always accepting new volunteers and members. Joining Impact 32 is a great way to get involved within the Bobcaygeon community and meet new people.
Impact 32 is not the only organization you can join. You can also donate your time to help out directly with the Frost Fest. If you are a high school student, you can also volunteer with Frost Fest and those hours can go toward the mandatory hours you need to graduate.
If you would like to help out with the Frost Fest in February or join Impact 32, please contact them by email, at visitbobcaygeon@gmail.com.
For more information about the Bobcaygeon Frost Fest, please visit the Bobcaygeon Chamber of Commerce's and/or Impact 32’s Facebook page/s.