OGDEN — This year the snow is here, but Ogden’s WinterFest won’t be.
After being canceled last year because of a lack of snow, Ogden’s annual Winterfest event won’t take place this year either.
Ogden Mayor Mike Caldwell said the city has not planned for a 2013 version of Winterfest because of budgetary concerns.
“We haven’t planned on having it this year,” Caldwell said. “It’s one of those budget things where we just couldn’t justify the cost of holding the event considering the kind of economic climate we’re in.”
Caldwell said, in past years the event typically came with a price tag around $60,000, although some of that cost was offset by fundraising efforts, volunteers and sponsors.
The event was first held in 2010 and featured such activities as snowmobile drag races, human dogsled races, a polar bear swim and skijoring, in which a skier is pulled by a horse.
The inaugural event in 2010 drew 7,500 spectators, while the 2011 show drew an estimated 15,000.
With the event being held on several side streets near Historic 25th Street and Washington Boulevard, officials used about 500 dump trucks worth of snow to line city streets.
The snow was taken from several locations, including Ogden-Hinckley Airport, Dee Events Center and several church and school parking lots.
Last year, the city had planned for the event but canceled it about a week before it was scheduled to happen after little snow had accumulated through December and early January. Rain in late January compounded matters further.
It is currently unclear whether Winterfest will be held again in 2014 or in future years.
The cancelation of Winterfest has no impact on the HOF GermanFest, which is scheduled for January 18-19 at the Golden Spike Event Center’s Exhibit Hall.
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