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Family Fire Festival comes again to Prince Albert

Feb 19, 2011 | 9:56 AM

For most winter is a time to stay indoors, but on Sunday the Family Fire Festival is encouraging everyone in Prince Albert to get outside and into the snow.

The first festival was held in 2010 as a celebration before the Olympic torch made its way through Prince Albert, but Deb Honch with P.A. Tourism said they decided it was worth putting on again.

“Last year it was held as part of the Olympic torch events … and it was such a huge success that we decided we have to do it again,” said Honch.

The festival will be held at Little Red River Park and in the Cosmopolitan Lodge.
Activities offered in the park will include snowshoeing, pond hockey, skiing (downhill and cross-country), hayrides and tobogganing.

“(It’s) just an opportunity for the entire community to come together and play in the snow,” said Honch.

There will also be a snowboarding competition and musical performances by artists such as Donny Parenteau, Heidi Monrow and many others.

Honch said they planned the festival as “barrier-free” and available to as many people as possible so almost everything at the festival will be free of charge.

The organizers have also worked to solve the parking problems that were evident at the previous year’s festival.

A temporary parking lot has been created at the lion’s ball field and a shuttle service will be running between the parking and Little Red River Park.

The City of Prince Albert has pitched in and offered buses to shuttle from four points in Prince Albert, the Art Hauser Centre, South Hill Mall west parking lot, the Bernice Sayese Centre and Zellers, out to the festival and back, running every half hour.

Honch said the weather is supposed to be bright and warm for Sunday but even if it turns cold the festival won’t be cancelled.

“We’re tough Saskatchewanites, we might cancel something if it rains, but if it’s cold or snow we have no problem with that,” said Honch.

The festival will be finished off by a fireworks display at the end of the day.

lschick@panow.com