The Hillsdale High School will host Winterfest. Courtesy | Facebook

Ice skating, horse and carriage rides, and giant painted penguins will all be featured at the City of Hillsdale’s Feb. 25 Winterfest celebration.

The event will take place at Hillsdale High School, and all its activities will be free of charge. Hot chocolate and coffee will also be free, but food and soda will cost money, according to Tammy Regner, president of Elks Lodge 1575. The lodge will provide food and refreshments for the event.

“We’ll be serving up the hotdogs for $1,” Regner said. “The proceeds from the sale of the hot dogs will actually be going to the veteran’s home in Battle Creek.”

The event was announced after the annual New Year’s Eve Bash was canceled due to weather, according to Sam Fry, economic development coordinator for the City of Hillsdale.

“It’s pretty much going to feature the same events and activities that we had planned for the New Year’s Eve Bash,” Fry said.

Regner said the event will feature multiple depictions of penguins, though no live ones.

“Quite a few years ago, the city purchased a light-up penguin,” Regner said. “We also have strolling costume penguins that will be meeting and greeting all the kids and families. Another cool thing we’ll have is a seven-foot-high painting of a penguin. Photo opportunities will be available – there will be penguins everywhere.”

Fry said the event will provide skates for the makeshift ice rink.

“In Hillsdale, there isn’t an ice skating rink available to folks,” Fry said. “So being able to bring a portable one in and provide those skates to people gives folks a chance to experiment something you might not get to do very often in Hillsdale.”

Event sponsors include Hillsdale Hospital, Hillsdale Community Foundation, and Child Abuse Prevention and Awareness.

Christie Campbell, executive director of CAPA, said this is the first year her organization has sponsored the event.

“Our hope is that by sponsoring this event more people learn about our organization,” Campbell said. “No one likes to talk about child abuse and neglect, but it is unfortunately here in Hillsdale County.”

Kelly LoPresto, a city official who helped plan the event, said this is the first time the winter event will be held indoors.

“In the previous years, it’s always been hosted outside with a place for people to go inside to warm up,” LoPresto said. “But this year we canceled due to weather and this event is going to be indoors. I don’t know what it’s going to look like in the future, so we’ll see how it goes.”