Events: Snow Days Chicago

Living in Dallas, I’m familiar with what we’ll call the undue extremity of temperature. What’s that? Well, it’s a phrase I just made up to explain the phenomenon of how extreme temperatures in places like Dallas feel that much more extreme than in other places. A few weeks back I was in Denver, for example, and the air temperature was a whopping two degrees Fahrenheit. When I got to Dallas, it was around 40, but wouldn’t you know it, Dallas felt colder! Through a mixture of humidity, wind patterns and bad karma, some places are just inhumanly cold like that.

Chicago is one of those places. A town of utterly mind-numbing frigidity, Chicago-style cold will suck the life right out of you unless you find a way to make something out of it. And bless’em, that’s just what they’ve done.

Snow Days Chicago is a free-admission festival in Chicago’s famous Grant Park that turns what could be a wintry nightmare into a family-friendly wonderland. Exciting events include a dog sled demonstration and the Snow Board Rail Jam in which some of the nation’s top young snowboarders show off their skills on a full-size rail.

But without a doubt, the highlight of the festival is the Snow Sculpting Competition. Experts from across the country take to the powder like Michelangelo to marble and produce sculptures of astonishing skill and creativity. Just check out the submission from the 2008 event. Be sure to catch the awards ceremony.

Snow Days Chicago runs from February 12-16, 2009 and is admission free. Limited parking will be available, but as with all Grant Park events, the City of Chicago recommends use of public transportation. For more information, click here.

Another good Chicago area hotel is the Wyndham O’Hare Airport. They offer a shuttle to/from O’Hare, and they’re located right next to the Blue Line Station which can get you very close to Grant Park (get off at “LaSalle”).

Image used with permission.

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