Winterfest is back and better than ever! The immensely popular Winterfest at Bushnell Park features a bigger rink (twice the size of last year), with the capacity for 140 skaters at once. The park will also feature a daytime carousel and light shows on Saturday and Sunday nights. Best of all, the entire event is free! Attendance and skate rentals are free for anyone, 7 days a week, from November 25th to February 20th.
With the rink’s expansion comes a greater need for help. Bushnell Park is asking for help with many different aspects of operation including:
On the ice: Competent skaters needed to assist with public skating. First Aid/CPR training and certification will be provided.
Off the ice: Volunteers needed to help with distribution of skates.
Volunteers will be primarily needed between 4:00pm and 9:00pm each day of the week, if interested please contact Blair at blair@daltonrigging.com or 860-463-8421. You must sign up in advance and HYPE is not the only group volunteering. Shifts are on a first-come first-serve basis and will go quick, so sign up as soon as possible!
Throughout the end of November and December the Bushnell Park will also feature Santa Clause himself at the rink to greet fa
milies. Volunteers are also needed to greet families at the Carousel during the following times:
Saturdays & Sundays (November 26-27; December 3-4, 10-11, 17-18) noon – 3:00 p.m.
Contact Jane Penfield to sign up for one or more of these times at jpenfield@letsgoarts.org. Preregistration is required to volunteer as one of "Santa's Helpers," on a first-come first-serve basis.
For a detailed writeup about this year's Winterfest, check out Jenna Carlesso's article in the Hartford Courant here.
HYPE Cup Participants
HYPE Cup points are available for this event. An individual player can earn up to 5 HYPE Cup points for volunteering at Winterfest anytime between November 25 and February 20. Distribution is as follows:
A three hour shift as Santa’s Helper = 1 HYPE Cup point. In order to get proper credit, you MUST sign up ahead of time (by emailing Jane at jpenfield@letsgoarts.org) and you must sign in at the Carousel when you get there.
A three hour shift during any other time = 1 HYPE Cup point. The rink is open 11am-9pm, 7 days a week. In order to get proper credit, you MUST sign up ahead of time (by contacting Blair at blair@daltonrigging.com or 860-463-8421) and you must sign in at the Skate Trailer when you get there.