Rediscover the Magic of Winter! Come To Phalen Freeze Fest On February 7

Winter is messy, and so is art! So let's have fun with it!

By Sage Passi


Don’t let the icy winds, dark cold nights and snow-piled cars defeat you! Transform the elements of winter into something delightful!


Rediscover the magic of winter at the first annual Phalen Freeze Fest, a celebration at Lake Phalen where we’ll light the darkness and warm the air with art, food, fishing and fun activities. Join us around the fire to hear the Ojibwe legend of Shingebiss, the story of the determined merganser who refuses to be defeated by the Winter Maker. Help us dramatize the storytelling with parade-style puppets and masks. Inspired by this plucky duck, we'll fish through the ice, build snow caves, snowshoe and have food by the fire. Enjoy a StoryWalk of the picture book Shingebiss by Nancy Van Laan, with woodcut illustrations by Betsy Bowen, posted page by page along a trail lit with luminaries.


This is an outdoor winter celebration for the whole family!

Left (Book cover) Shingebiss, an Ojibwe legend, tells the story of a merganser who stands up to Winter Maker's challenges.
Right: Three species of mergansers can be seen at Lake Phalen at various times of the year.  The common merganser (Shingebiss in Ojibwe) is pictured here. 

Partners in the Phalen Freeze Fest include the City of St. Paul, St. Paul Parks and Recreation, Ramsey-Washington Metro Watershed District, the Minnesota DNR, Fishing in the Neighborhood, Urban Roots, St. Paul Public Library and Clean Water Land and Legacy Amendment. 

Partners for this fantastic event.



Faith Krogstad, St. Paul Parks and Recreation Education
Coordinator and the lead for this event (left) assists a teacher
and her daughter in puppet-making for Phalen Freeze Fest
at Duluth Case Rec Center.

Phalen Freeze Fest

Saturday, February 7, 5 pm – 8 pm

Lake Phalen Park, Picnic pavilion/amphitheater

1600 Phalen Drive, St. Paul
www.bit.ly/freezefest15

Contact Faith Krogstad at 651-632-2455.





 

Harding High Earth Club creates snow puppets for the Phalen Freeze Fest.

Staff from St. Paul Parks and Recreation and Watershed staff are busy preparing for this event. Puppet –making workshops are being held at two city recreation centers. The Watershed District is working with classes at American Indian Magnet, Farnsworth Aerospace, Harding High School Earth Club and St. Peter School to create puppets and props to help tell the story of Shingebiss on February 7 and to help with other activities that night.

Paper mache puppet-making in progress.

Puppet Making Workshops: Drop in during any workshop over the next several weeks to create parade style puppets and props for use on February 7 at Phalen Freeze Fest. These puppets will tell the Ojibwe legend of Shingebiss, the merganser duck who won’t be defeated by the Winter Maker.


Duluth & Case Recreation Center,
1020 Duluth Street, Saint Paul
4:00-6:00 pm
Thursday Jan 22, Monday Jan 26 & Monday Feb 2


Hancock Recreation Center,
1610 Hubbard Avenue, Saint Paul
4:00-6:00 pm
Every Tuesday through 2/3/15

Registration to either location is helpful but not necessary.  Just stop in!

Link HERE for the flyer for these workshops

For more information about these workshops contact Faith Krogstad at 651-632-2455.



An animal puppet in the works.

AT PHALEN FREEZE FEST

• LET THE JOYS OF WINTER ENCHANT YOU.  
• DISCOVER WHICH FISH ARE BITING THROUGH THE ICE.
• WARM UP BY THE FIRE
• JOIN IN THE STORYTELLING 
• FOLLOW THE STORYWALK
• EXPLORE THE ISLAND ON SNOWSHOES

Link HERE for the flyer on this event.



American Indian Magnet fourth graders in Kate Swensen's science class model their Shingebiss (merganser) bills for their puppets they will bring to the storytelling circle at the Phalen Freeze Fest.

 We hope to see you there!!!