WINTER AFTER HOURS, 2016

Winter can be an isolating time, and sometimes even we hearty Wisconsinites need a nudge to break our routines and actually get outside and enjoy the season’s snowy splendor instead of complaining about it. We need motivation to pull on our stocking caps and dig our ice skates out of the closet or even strap on some snowshoes.

Every Thursday during January and February, Winter After Hours offers these opportunities and more. Billed as “Eau Claire’s Weekly Snow-Based Social,” Winter After Hours has been held each winter since 2010 in Boyd Park, which is on Main Street just a few blocks from downtown Eau Claire. The motivation behind the event is simple: Winter can be a blast, but some of us (mainly grownups) sometimes need a reminder of that fact. Between 6 and 8pm on those winter Thursdays, Boyd Park is bathed in twinkling light and swarms with as many as a few hundred adults and kids enjoying an ideal evening. A curved loop of ice in the center of the park is the perfect place to try out those skates. (If you don’t have your own pair, you can rent them.) If skating isn’t your thing, there’s a bonfire where you can warm up and toast s’mores. The cozy crackle of logs and the aroma of wood smoke are an invitation to relax and enjoy the season. Boyd Park also offers a warming house where you can put on your skates or grab a hot drink.

And, this being Eau Claire, the creative arts are never far away. Watch as the Starvin’ Carvists – locally based and internationally award-winning snow carvers Steve Bateman and Jason Anhorn – artfully chip away at a huge, molded block of snow to create a massive, frozen, and often whimsical work of art.

Winter After Hours is presented by Volume One and the Eau Claire Parks, Recreation, and Forestry Department and sponsored by Mayo Clinic Health System and a host of other businesses. It’s a relaxed, community-oriented event, so come as you are (preferably bundled up!), chat with friends and neighbors, and allow the crisp air to heighten your senses as you enjoy the wintry wonders

Winter After Hours • Thursdays, Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26 and Feb. 2, 9, 16, and 23 • 6-8pm • FREE • Boyd Park, Eau Claire • volumeone.org/sites/winter • event may be canceled if it’s too cold or to warm, so watch volumeone.org/winter