Winter Festival

Winter Festival 2025

FREE Family Event
Saturday, February 1, 2025 -- 10 a.m. - 3 p.m

Join us for a fun day of outdoor winter fun at Burr Pond State Park in Torrington.

No Child Left Inside® (NCLI) Program in partnership with Fish with CARE and the City of Torrington will be hosting the 19th Annual Winter Festival Event at Burr Pond State Park in Torrington, CT on Saturday February 1, 2025 from 10 am to 3 pm (weather date of Sunday February 2, 2025). This event is all about winter and all the things you can do and see in the winter!

There will be ice fishing with Fish with CARE (safe ice dependent), hikes, storytimes, Search and Rescue dogs, demonstrations, hiking, ice sculptures, marshmallow roasting, bonfire, furs & pelts, live animals, City of Torrington Police and Fire, CT State Environmental Conservation Police, CT Horse Council, CT Valley Siberian Husky Club, DEEP Education and Outreach, DEEP Wildlife, DEEP Boating, CT State Library, Lutz Children's Musuem, Environmental Learning Centers of CT, White Memorial, Reach Your Summit, IAIS Native American Museum and Research Center, Girl Scouts of CT, Drakeville and Torringford Volunteer Fire Departments, Animals Sign Spotting with Shirly Sutton, Brothers & Son Sugar House and much more.

There will even be a special appearance from Chuckles the Groundhog from the Lutz Childrens' Museum. Bring your family and friends and join us for a great day of winter activities and fun! Scouts BSA, Troop 1, out of Torrington will be selling food.

Parking: There will be parking on-site at Burr Pond State Park (main parking lot) as well as off-site location parking lots at: Burr Pond Boat Launch Ramp, Burrville Fire Training School and RBC Aircraft Products. There will be 4 shuttles (two that are handicapped accessible) circulating between the parking lots/locations between the hours of 9:30 am and 3:00 pm. The shuttles will circulate between Burr Pond State Park on Burr Mountain Road in Torrington; RBC Aircraft Products at 2866 Winsted Road, Torrington; Burrville Fire Training School on Burr Mountain Road in Torrington; and the Burr Pond Boat Launch Ramp at 600 Burr Mountain Road in Torrington. Please note that the last bus will leave Burr Pond State Park at 3 pm to bring event-goers back to their vehicles.

Fish with CARE information regarding ice fishing:

Fish with CARE-Connecticut Aquatic Resources Education
Ice Fishing information (Please note: ice fishing is always ice-dependent and ice safety comes first)
Let's Go Ice Fishing video-viewers can learn from life-long ice fishing experts everything from how to make a hole in the ice, to setting up a tip-up, to using a jigging rod and more.
Introduction to Ice Fishing

Below you can find some additional information, activities and videos for families to enjoy during the Winter Season:

Fishing information and videos:

CARE videos on You Tube

Learn to Fish Student Materials

YOUth Fishing Passport –Your ticket to great fishing activities and giveaways in CT

Filet a fish

Wintertime foods:

Recipes for hot chocolate, snow ice cream, soups and stews

Fun things to do outside in the winter:

Winter activities to do in CT State Parks and Forests: winter hiking, explore a winter waterfall, snow shoeing, cross country skiing, downhill skiing, ice skating, snowmobiling

Winter Crafting:

ice suncatchers, snowman marshmallows, snow painting

Winter Science Activities:

14 Winter Themed Activities and Experiments For Any Climate

Recommendations for books about Winter that families can read together:

1) The Winter Visitors by Karel Hayes You Tube Read Aloud

2)Snow Day by Lester L. Laminack You, Tube Read Aloud

3) The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats You Tube Read Aloud

4) The Mitten by Jan Brett, You Tube Read Aloud

5) Snowmen at Night by Carolyn Buehner, You Tube Read Aloud

6) Snow by Cynthia Rylant, You Tube Read A loud

7) The Wild Toboggann Ride by Suzan Reid & Eugenie Fernandes, You Tube Read Aloud