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Warming up on the lakefront during a cold winter day
The Fire and Ice Sauna Experience on North Avenue Beach is among the new winter saunas that have opened up in Chicago.
Cornerback Nahshon Wright, who a year ago was a practice squad player for the Vikings, became the Bears’ latest selection to the NFC Pro Bowl team.
The Blackhawks sent rookie Nick Lardis to the AHL, a forward-group shakeup amid a scoring drought.
The season’s biggest events have provided a platform and opportunity for the area’s most promising high school boys basketball stars, writes Joe Henricksen.
In bitter cold, Polar Adventure Days goes on as planned at Northerly Island Park
Rosy-cheeked children and men with icicles in their beards battled the bitter cold for a few hours of fun at Northerly Island Park on Saturday.
They built forts out of recycled Christmas trees, watched an ice sculptor chisel a snow owl, balanced on a slack line tightrope, and cheered on huskies sledding around the park. In the warmth of the field house, they engaged in arts and crafts, watched a puppet show by Jabberwocky Marionettes, and met reptiles including a lizard, a boa constrictor and a snapping turtle. And they consumed copious amounts of hot chocolate.
The events were part of the Chicago Park District’s free annual Polar Adventure Days, which made its return to Northerly Island Park for the first time since the field house was damaged by a fire in 2023. A second event will take place Feb. 21 at Big Marsh Park.
The low temperature Saturday morning was 4 degrees with a wind chill of minus 25. But participants happily embraced the cold, praising the benefits of the day of activities: Fresh air, natural beauty and a break from technology.
“Life doesn’t stop,” said Richard Carrillo, of the East Side, who attended the event with his wife, Laura Macias, and their 5-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter. “It’s Chicago. The children have to learn the cold.”
Are you part of a club or similar group in Chicago? Tell us about it and why you joined.
Email us here. (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.
Written and curated by Matt Moore
Editor Eydie Cubarrubia
Hat tip Sun-Times’ Joel Carlson for today’s preview copy which you’ll find on the front page of today’s Chicago Sun-Times print edition. Find it on newsstands and online here.
The Chicago Sun-Times is a nonprofit supported by readers like you. Become a member to make stories like these free and available to everyone. Learn more at suntimes.com/member.
Warming up on the lakefront during a cold winter day
The Fire and Ice Sauna Experience on North Avenue Beach is among the new winter saunas that have opened up in Chicago.
Cornerback Nahshon Wright, who a year ago was a practice squad player for the Vikings, became the Bears’ latest selection to the NFC Pro Bowl team.
The Blackhawks sent rookie Nick Lardis to the AHL, a forward-group shakeup amid a scoring drought.
The season’s biggest events have provided a platform and opportunity for the area’s most promising high school boys basketball stars, writes Joe Henricksen.
In bitter cold, Polar Adventure Days goes on as planned at Northerly Island Park
Rosy-cheeked children and men with icicles in their beards battled the bitter cold for a few hours of fun at Northerly Island Park on Saturday.
They built forts out of recycled Christmas trees, watched an ice sculptor chisel a snow owl, balanced on a slack line tightrope, and cheered on huskies sledding around the park. In the warmth of the field house, they engaged in arts and crafts, watched a puppet show by Jabberwocky Marionettes, and met reptiles including a lizard, a boa constrictor and a snapping turtle. And they consumed copious amounts of hot chocolate.
The events were part of the Chicago Park District’s free annual Polar Adventure Days, which made its return to Northerly Island Park for the first time since the field house was damaged by a fire in 2023. A second event will take place Feb. 21 at Big Marsh Park.
The low temperature Saturday morning was 4 degrees with a wind chill of minus 25. But participants happily embraced the cold, praising the benefits of the day of activities: Fresh air, natural beauty and a break from technology.
“Life doesn’t stop,” said Richard Carrillo, of the East Side, who attended the event with his wife, Laura Macias, and their 5-year-old son and 2-year-old daughter. “It’s Chicago. The children have to learn the cold.”
Are you part of a club or similar group in Chicago? Tell us about it and why you joined.
Email us here. (please include your first and last name). We may run your answer in a future newsletter or story.
Written and curated by Matt Moore
Editor Eydie Cubarrubia
Hat tip Sun-Times’ Joel Carlson for today’s preview copy which you’ll find on the front page of today’s Chicago Sun-Times print edition. Find it on newsstands and online here.
The Chicago Sun-Times is a nonprofit supported by readers like you. Become a member to make stories like these free and available to everyone. Learn more at suntimes.com/member.
. It's amazing to see families embracing the winter weather and making the most of it by doing fun activities together. I mean, who wouldn't want to build forts out of recycled Christmas trees or watch an ice sculptor at work? 
It's great that the Chicago Park District made this event a part of their calendar again after the field house damage in 2023.
. The organizers did a great job of creating an immersive experience that's not just fun but also educational.
. Can't they just have a normal winter festival for once? 
But I guess it's nice that people are embracing the cold and having fun with their kids. Hot chocolate is a must 
.
they're so lucky to have such awesome park districts like chicago park district that offer free events like this!
I mean, who needs screens when you can build forts out of recycled Christmas trees and watch puppets on stage? It's the perfect way to get the kids (and let's be real, us adults too) out in nature and enjoying the winter weather. My little one is already asking me if we can go back next year! 
The Chicago Park District is doing a great job bringing people together for fun events like this. And omg, the hot chocolate bar sounds amazing 
. Events like Polar Adventure Days on Northerly Island Park bring people together for a respite from technology's grip 
, allowing them to reconnect with nature's wonders 
– where individuals find ways to reconfigure their relationship with time, prioritizing experiences that bring joy and connection over the monotony of daily routines 
. For Chicagoans, embracing the cold is not only a necessity but also an opportunity for community building and personal growth 
.
. The return of Polar Adventure Days is a testament to Chicago's enduring spirit and its inhabitants' desire for authentic experiences 
.
And all that hot chocolate? Just gonna make them guzzle more calories. Not to mention the fact that they're probably gonna be stuck with icicles in their beards for days afterwards. 
. Like, I get it, some people want to stay active in the cold and enjoy nature, but do we really need a whole day of "adventure" stuff? It's just gonna attract a bunch of helicopter parents with their kiddos who can't even play outside without needing a snack break 
. And what's up with all these events being free? Is that supposed to be some kind of marketing ploy for the Chicago Park District? "Hey, come check out our mediocre facilities and pay nothin'!" 
It's just not my cup of hot chocolate 
️.
. I mean, who needs screens when you've got snow owls to chisel and huskies to sled? 
. As a parent myself, I wish I could've taken my kiddo to something like this when they were younger, but it just goes to show that life doesn't stop even in the cold 
.
i personally love winter festivals in chicago, but i have to admit i've never been to a polar adventure day... maybe next year i'll drag my friends along 
! But Polar Adventure Days in Northerly Island Park sounds AMAZING!!! I love how they're getting kids outside and enjoying nature despite the freezing temps 
and watching ice sculptures 
the chicago park district is doing such a great job bringing people together for these events... its all about getting out there and enjoying nature with your fam 
.
It's not about just surviving the winter; it's about embracing its beauty and finding the magic in the chill