When life gives you winter, make Winterfest, the third annual edition of which returns to Lincroft’s Thompson Park Saturday afternoon.
First of all, there’s little to no chance of any snowy stuff (or really much precip of any kind) in the forecast for this coming Saturday. But even if the season of bare trees and bundled-up people makes itself felt exclusively through the expected chill factor, there’s still plenty to celebrate over at Lincroft’s Thompson Park, where the third annual Winterfest event takes center stage Saturday.
Get behind a horse or two for a ride in the fresh air.
From 12 to 4 p.m., it’s a full afternoon of family-friendly recreational activities including wagon rides, archery, craft workshops, and maybe even cross-country ski demos. And for those who are unfamiliar with the flagship facility of the Monmouth County Park System, it’s an opportunity to get acquainted with the nearby park’s many features and assets.
Among the outdoor activities scheduled to be highlighted during Saturday’s event are photo ops with snowmobiles, old-time sleighs and ice sculptures, a “selfie scavenger hunt,” and the “nontraditional winter fun” of a fat-tire bike demo by Middletown’s Trek Bicycles.
Inside the park’s Creative Arts Center, visitors can create a “make and take” ceramic snowman or penguin figure (for a cash-or-check cost of $10), and reps from various vendors of outdoor/ camping gear and winter sport accessories will be on premises, as will be purveyors of live musical entertainment and food.
So while any cousins of last year’s “Winter Storm Jonas” are unlikely to make an appearance, the snow-free landscape should offer strolling explorers a chance to check out Thompson’s hiking trails, playgrounds, dog park, tennis courts, soccer field, and wildlife viewing areas around Swimming River Reservoir and Marlu Lake.
Admission and parking for Saturday’s Winterfest event are free of charge — and additional info is available by calling the Park System at (732)842-4000.
