Palmer Park WinterFest & Doggie Fashion Parade

Free Winter Fun for Families, snow or shine! Ice Skating, Horse & Carriage Rides, Doggie Fashion Parade, live music with Lac La Belle, food and more! Expect the unpredictable at Detroit's Palmer Park on Sunday, February 2 (Groundhog Day!) from 1 to 4 pm: Fashion-attired canines will trot around the Lake Frances past the Log Cabin, competing for prizes from local pet businesses; horse and carriage rides will travel through the woods; and the park will come alive with ice skaters, cross-country skiers, snow shoe travelers, hikers, bonfires, live music in the warm-up tent, arts and crafts, refreshments, and much more free family fun. Is it a groundhog, a horse or a deer prancing through Detroit's Palmer Park? It may be all three, but more likely it is a dog, dressed up as a superhero, bunny or in another unexpected disguise for Detroit's Third Annual Palmer Park WinterFest and Doggie Fashion Parade. People for Palmer Park's WinterFest and Doggie Fashion Parade will take place at Palmer Park, on the south side of the park adjacent to Merrill Plaisance, which is located just north of McNichols (Six Mile Road) and just west of Woodward Ave. in Detroit. Follow the signs to free parking. WinterFest is presented by People for Palmer Park (PFPP), a nonprofit organization dedicated to the revitalization of Detroit’s Palmer Park. PFPP is entrusted by the City of Detroit’s Adopt-a-Park program as its Community Partner and recognizes the vital participation of its community sponsors for WinterFest: City of Detroit, Walker-Miller Energy Services, Palmer Park Apartments, Shelborne Development, Elmira Rhein Family Foundation, Hamilton Anderson Associates, Canine to Five, Razor K-9 Dog Training, and others TBA. If mother nature cooperates, guides will lead hikers through the trails. Bring your own cross country skis, boots and snow shoes and lots of warm socks! Bring ice skates to skate on Lake Frances (if conditions of the ice permit). We will have professional skaters who will give mini-classes and be on hand for those new to the ice, and those who need help and encouragement! Refreshments, including hot chocolate, healthy soups and sandwiches, and desserts will be available for purchase. Pinecrest Percherons and Carriage Service will provide nostalgic horse and carriage rides through the woods for a small donation to PFPP of $5 per adult, $2 per child. Canine to Five is donating free daycare coupons to all dogs, and other prizes will be awarded for creative costumes, good behavior and best fur coats. While costumes are not mandatory, dog owners round the city are updating their dogs' fashion attire for a run on the Palmer Park 'Green or Frosty White Carpet' that encircles Lake Frances. Pre-registeration for dogs and guidelines for safety and behavior can be found online at: peopleforpalmerpark.org/calendar/winterfest-doggie-fashion-parade/ There will be a warm up tent with music provided by Lac La Belle (Nick Schillace and Jennie Knaggs, www.laclabellemusic.com), an acoustic duo that juxtaposes the early decades of recorded rural American music with decaying Rustbelt aesthetic. A tradition is re-imagined — or maybe just resumed — in the ‘future-rustic’ swirl of accordion, mandolin, banjo, ukulele, and resonator guitar. In the late 1800s, Detroit’s leading couple, ­Senator Thomas Palmer and his wife Lizzie, entertained at their country retreat, an authentic log cabin overlooking Lake Frances and surrounded by their 640-acre farm, garden and magnificent ancient forest. Wouldn’t they be surprised today if they were to attend the WinterFest and Doggie Fashion Parade? They would certainly enjoy the horse and carriage rides, hiking through the trails, bonfires, and other fun People for Palmer Park will present, and would revel in the knowledge that Palmer Park continues to be treasured and enjoyed. An important goal of PFPP is to make Palmer Park a destination site for healthy living and recreation, as well as a protected nature reserve. In the short time that PFPP has been in existence, the organization has organized and worked with community volunteers, businesses, organizations, and residents from the surrounding neighborhoods to clean out the 12 miles of forest trails in the park, making them bikeable and walkable again; planted apple orchards in three locations; started a Junior Tennis Academy for children; helped to bring Little League baseball back to the park; hosted free yoga classes on Saturday mornings during the summer that typically attracted between 40 and 50 participants; free weekly tai chi classes in the warmer weather; organized family Story Time events in the Park by the Log Cabin; sponsored Log Cabin Day in June attracting masses to view the historic structure; organized Harvest Fest with fall hay rides through the trails, and much more. In addition to planning special events and recreational activities, PFPP committees organize regular cleanups of the park, as well as flower and tree plantings. More information can be found at peopleforpalmerpark.org.