Winterfest 2011 Brings a Celebration of Winter to Lake Arrowhead Village

LAKE ARROWHEAD, CA, February 05, 2011

The first-ever Winterfest is coming to Lake Arrowhead Village on Friday, February 18th and lasts through Monday, February 21st. This debut event will bring droves of visitors to the beautiful alpine community of Lake Arrowhead, CA in the San Bernardino Mountains just east of Los Angeles and Orange County.

Winter can often be a busy time in the San Bernardino Mountains because many families from the valleys below bring their children to the mountains for snow play, a change of scenery and a taste of winter that you can generally only find in other parts of the country. With the announcement of Winterfest, Lake Arrowhead Village is anticipating much larger than usual crowds.

According to Rebecca Smith, Marketing Director for Lake Arrowhead Village, "There's going to be so much going on. We are hosting both a professional and amateur singles ice carving competition, a professional team ice carving competition, a "chilly" cook off, loads of entertainment, lots of activities for every member of the family, and an all around great time. Our Winterfest is fashioned after the kinds of events that one would likely see in the eastern parts of Canada such as Montreal and Ontario."

Smith continues, "In many parts of the country, winter is a time to roll up the sidewalks and hunker down. Not so in Lake Arrowhead Village. We already have a lot of natural traffic from families who come up for snow play, but with Winterfest, our goal is to really show people how to celebrate the season—to get out and really get involved in a wide range of activities that really will help to make winter more fun.

The ice carving competitions are based on the theme "The Good Old Days" and is drawing professional ice carvers as well as amateurs from great distances to be a part of this novel event that is unique to Southern California. But there are other ways to get involved in a little friendly competition. According to Smith, "there will also be a very exciting photography competition based on the themes "Lake Arrowhead Village" and "Winter in the Mountains". Winter is a wonderful time to take part in a photo safari up here in the mountains. I myself am an amateur photographer and there is no end to the wonderful images that can be captured by your camera. There's still time to enter the photo competition as well as the ice carving competition and the "chilly" cook off, but those who want to participate should really hurry.

Lake Arrowhead Village is a historic resort area that has been drawing tourists to the San Bernardino Mountains since the turn of the last century. Once a valley known for logging and mining, in the 20s a dam was built and beautiful Lake Arrowhead was born. Since that time, it has been a favorite vacationing spot for Southern Californians, but also a much-loved haunt for celebrities from Tinsel town. In recent years, both Lake Arrowhead Village and the breathtaking Lake Arrowhead Resort and Spa have undergone significant transformation, which has added to the increased visitor traffic in the area. IN general, Lake Arrowhead has undergone a massive renaissance, making it one of the most desirable resort communities to live in on the west coast.

A schedule of events for Winterfest 2011 is as follows:

Friday, February 18th

3 pm to 5 pm - Competition Check-In (Stars Room)
5 pm to 8 pm - Timebomb: A Decade in Classic Rock (Center Stage)

Saturday, February 19th

7:30 am to 9 am - Orientation and Check-In, Q&A with Judges (Stars Room)
10 am to 2 pm - Amateur Singles Competition (Center Stage Parking Lot)
2 pm - 2:30 pm - Announcement of Amateur Winner (Center Stage)
12 pm to 4 pm - Kids Craft Time (Color Me Mine)
4 pm to 6 pm - Red Not Chili Peppers: Red Hot Chili Peppers Tribute Band (Center Stage)
6 pm to 8 pm - Winterfest Happy Hour (Village Restaurants and Resort)

Sunday, February 20th

7:30 am to 9 am - Orientation and Check-In (Center Stage Parking Lot)
10 am to 2 pm - Professional Singles Competition (Center Stage Parking Lot)
12 pm to 2 pm- Kids Craft Time (Color Me Mine)
12 pm to 4 pm - Chilly Cook-Off (Dockside)
2 pm to 2:30 pm - Singles Pro Winner Announced (Center Stage)
4 pm to 6 pm - Anderson Hall: Blues & Rock with a Bit of Country (Center Stage)
6 pm to 8 pm - Winterfest Happy Hour (Village Restaurants and Resort)

Monday, February 21st

7:30 am to 9 am - Orientation and Check-In (Center Stage Parking Lot)
10 am to 4 pm - Professional Team Competition (Center Stage Parking Lot)
5 pm to 7 pm - Awards Ceremony: Dinner and Dancing With the Band Yard Sale (Lake Arrowhead Resort) * Tickets available at $40 per person

Those wishing to participate in the "chilly" cook off, the ice carving competitions or the photography contests may enter by contacting Lake Arrowhead Village Administration at 909-337-2533 or by visiting LakeArrowheadVillage.com.