December 9-16, 2004

mixpicks

Best of the Fests

festival

Here's a way to bypass waiting until winter to reap the benefits of the cold: Put on your snowsuit and head to West Philly for a couple of similarly named winter events. To promote its ever-expanding shopping and dining district, University Square will host Holiday Fest, a week of discounts at local shops and, more importantly, enough ice-related activities (and free hot chocolate!) to get you in a festive mood. Over the course of two days, sculptors Fear No Ice will scrape 1.5 tons of ice into a giant ice sculpture, depicting winter scenes. They might even let you take a stab. Collect the shavings and make a snowman. Or show up on the patch of grass across the street for a free snowshoe lesson from Eastern Mountain Sports, snowshoes provided gratis. Want even more inclement weather? Go ice skating at Winterfest!, stock up on complimentary cocoa and holiday treats and fall all over the place for only a buck.

Holiday Fest, Mon.-Fri., Dec. 13-17; ice sculpture, Mon.-Tue., Dec. 13-14, 3-7 p.m.; snowshoe lessons, Tue.-Wed., Dec. 14-15, noon; free, 36th Street Plaza, 36th between Sansom and Walnut sts. Winterfest!, Thu., Dec. 16, 5:30-8 p.m., $1, Class of 1923 Ice Rink, 3130 Walnut St., 215-243-0555, www.ucityphila.org.

—Tami Fertig