Skip to content

Response overwhelming for Winter Carnival

First-ever Williams Lake Winter Carnival upcoming in lakecity.
49660tribunewinter-carnival
Williams Lake Winter Carnival organizers Raman Dhillon (left) and Darrick Boyes are thrilled with the response they’ve received so far for the upcoming first annual Winter Carnival in the lakecity set to take place Jan. 31 and Feb. 1 in Boitanio Park.

What started out as a conversation on Facebook about how there was nothing to do in the city during the winter months, has snowballed into a full-blown winter carnival.

Set to take place Jan. 31 and Feb 1, the first ever Williams Lake Winter Carnival will see Boitanio Park transformed into a winter wonderland of festivities over two days with horse drawn sleigh rides, face painting, warming huts, igloo building, a chilli cook-off, a cross-country ski trail, snow shoeing, snow art and a large sledding hill –– and that’s just to name a few of the activities planned.

“We’ve had an overwhelming response,” said Darrick Boyes, one of the carnival’s organizers. “It’s going to be great.”

Boyes said a team of enthusiastic volunteers has been meeting to plan the event, while many businesses in the community have come on board to throw their support behind the weekend.

As well as the events in Boitanio Park, the carnival will also include free skating (thank to business sponsors) for an hour-and-a-half both days at the nearby arena. Additionally, the WLWC organizers have also partnered with Family Fest organizers, who moved their event to the Gibraltar Room Feb. 1 to coincide with the outdoor activities at the carnival.

“We wanted to involve the entire community and it’s really coming together. It’s all about bringing a free event to the community,” Boyes said. “We have the winter, we just didn’t have the carnival.”

Boyes said there are so many good ideas for carnival events, such as snowmobile races and outdoor curling, that a list has already been started to grow future carnivals.

“Next year the sky’s the limit.”

Boyes said volunteers are still needed for set-up and take-down of the carnival. For more information about the event, how to donate, or to volunteer, please e-mail organizers at wlwintercarnival@hotmail.com.