27th Annual Winterfest

Saturday 11th February to Sunday 12th February:

27th Annual Winterfest

Winter’s Celebrated Desert-style in Lake Havasu City

Don’t bring your snowshoes, but bring your walking shoes!

Winterfest, a 27-year annual celebration of winter visitors, local residents and seasonal fun, returns to Lake Havasu City on Feb. 11-12.

Times: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday.

More than 40,000 visitors will rub elbows along a two-mile aisle of vendors along the center of McCulloch Boulevard, flanked by shops, bars and bistros – 250 vendors packed into 425 spaces, and 200 licensed storefront businesses, many with sidewalk sales.

Winterfest takes place in the Main Street District, between Smoketree Avenue and Acoma Boulevard, about a mile uphill from State Route 95, via Mesquite Avenue or Swanson Avenue from 95.

There’s entertainment throughout the day, as well as things to do for the kids – pony rides, bungee rides, a climbing wall, arts and crafts and inflatable bouncing toys.

Hungry? Graze your way through an assortment of food booths and food trailers offering everything from the ubiquitous hot dog or hamburger to Asian rice bowls, barbecue, Greek dishes, Mexican food, corn dogs, ice cream and drinks. New this year will be one vendor who prepares everything in a beer batter. Does that spell the demise of the deep-fried Twinkie?

For adults there will be a beer garden adjacent to the Pearl Bailey Showmobile, a moveable stage named for late famed singer who was a part-time resident of Lake Havasu City. Here you can also sit to enjoy your food while entertained by singing and dancing, and, since everyone’s got talent, the annual Havasu Idol Show. It’s hit with adults and visitors alike.

The show is split into two segments on Saturday beginning at 11 a.m., with youngsters ranging in age from 5 to 18, kindergarten through 12th grade.

With the huge interest these days in the desert as a playground, you’ll find an Off-Road Zone, featuring ATVs and bikes – the toys you need to explore our natural surroundings.

Winterfest has grown from a fistful of card table displays near the entrance to the English Village and London Bridge a mile down the road toward the lake. It was designed to thank winter visitors – snowbirds – for wintering in this desert community on the Colorado River on Arizona’s West Coast.

And it grew, not only in size but in popularity with both folks from out of town as well as local residents. “Our snowbirds who spend the winter here tell us that they look forward to Winterfest as part of their experience in Lake Havasu City,” says Lisa Krueger, President/CEO of the Lake Havasu Area Chamber of Commerce, sponsor of the event.

Visitors like to stop at the Chamber’s booth to put push-pins into a large scale map of North America indicating the town and state – or province if they’re Canadian – which they call home. More than one friendship has developed as a Montana visitor marks Helena with a pin, only to be standing next to a fellow “Grizzly” from Bozeman. And then the search for common ground and mutual acquaintances begins.

“People love to talk about where they’re from, and this is a way for them to meet,” said Krueger.

Winterfest is the Chamber’s largest fundraiser of the year, and sponsors this year include Frontier Communications, Living Magazine and Smart Shopper.

There is no admission charge.

GETTING THERE:

• Lake Havasu City is about a three-hour drive from Phoenix. Take Interstate 40 west to Quartzsite, then north on State Route 95. Turn right at Swanson Avenue to Smoketree Avenue.
• From Kingman, it’s one hour via Interstate 40 west to Exit 9, then south on State Route 95. Turn left at Mesquite Avenue to Smoketree Avenue.
• From Bullhead City and the Mohave Valley, travel time is a little over an hour – south on State Route 95 to Interstate 10 either at Topock or Needles, then east to Exit 9, turning south on State Route 95 again. Turn left at Mesquite Avenue, then travel up the street to Smoketree Avenue.

Lake Havasu City Chamber of Commerce: 928-855-4115, www.havasuchamber.com

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