Council Bluffs to celebrate Winterfest amid freezing temperatures Friday

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (WOWT) - Council Bluffs residents will be out in the cold celebrating Winterfest Friday evening.

Winterfest is a yearly holiday tradition put on by the City of Council Bluffs featuring events for the community.

This year’s Winterfest is at Bayliss Park this Friday, Nov, 18, from 6 - 8 p.m.

“Winterfest at Bayliss Park has grown tremendously over the last few years,” said Ashley Kruse, the Communications Officer for the City of Council Bluffs.

Residents will have to brave the cold weather if they plan to attend. 6 News Meteorologist Rusty Lord is expecting below-freezing temperatures, with Friday being the coldest day of the week.

There are several activities this year, including free hot chocolate, real reindeer, an ice sculpting demonstration and more.

“We continuously add activities to ensure we’re adapting to our ever-growing crowd. This year, we added additional food vendors, a photo op in Santa’s Workshop, a “Letters to Santa” station for those that don’t want to wait in Santa’s line, a second ice sculptor, a bell choir, and we modified the layout to improve the guest experience.”

There will also be a pop-up holiday shop called Makers Village, as well as several food trucks.

One of the key features of the event is a lighting ceremony with Mayor Walsh.

Council Bluffs says events start promptly at 6 p.m. and guests are welcome to arrive early.