Brrr! Winterfest offers something for everyone

Friday, January 21, was the start of the third annual Winterfest, a weekend-long celebration of coming back to campus after winter break, put on by the Berg Events Council (BEC). This year, Winterfest was planned primarily by Madi Sharp and Noah Kennard, two senior members of BEC, who began planning it at the beginning of the fall semester. 

Winterfest has three days of activities. It began with the Winterfest dance on Friday night. Students received free T-shirts while enjoying snacks, mocktails or cocktails for those of age. On Saturday, there was the Shooting Snowflakes event, a collaboration between BEC and Berg Athletics. BEC brought in a caricature artist and provided free noise-making banners to students attending the basketball games on Saturday. The Cuddles and Cocoa event ended Winterfest on Sunday, where students made their own stuffed animals and dressed them in mini-Heidelberg T-shirts while enjoying complimentary hot chocolate and cookies. 

Tess Connors, president of BEC, is excited to “get to see students have fun in a safe environment at the dance.” BEC’s Tradition chair, Noah Kennard, was excited to make and dress an octopus at the Cuddles and Cocoa event. BEC’s advisor, Jacqueline Sironen, noted how “nice it is to collaborate with Athletics, whereas in the past we might be competing with them,” She thanked Jeff Garvin, director of Athletic Marketing and Information, for encouraging the collaboration. Noah agreed: “Our partnership with Athletics is very different. We love supporting what is on campus already.”

To students who did not get the opportunity to attend, be sure to attend next year, and take advantage of the free things offered at Winterfest festivities. Noah added, “It’s very flexible. You can breeze in and out and don’t have to commit to long events. You can just get a caricature if you want. Or just get a stuffed animal. But you can also do everything!”

-- by Em Swain, ’22