madcity girl

With falling snowflakes, sunny skies, and a thick coat of snow covering the landscape, this past weekend was one of those idyllic Wisconsin winter weekends that people in warmer climates sometimes fantasize about.

It all made for a perfect setting for two of my favorite annual Madison winter traditions. The first of which was the 7th annual Madison Winter Festival, which aims to “promote fun and healthy lifestyles during winter by showcasing snow sports and festive recreational activities.” The event features x-country ski racing, snowshoe events, half-pipe snowboarding, a 5k fun run, and an ice sculpture competition. On Friday night, a friend and I walked around the Capitol Square, watching a team of snow plows working through the night, methodically transforming the Capitol Square into one giant snow playground. Since I live only a few blocks from the square, I was able to make it to the Festival on both Saturday and Sunday to check out the events. I always love watching the professional x-country skiers—their speed and form is breathtaking.

One of my other favorite Madison winter traditions occurred on the UW-Madison campus for 12 hours on Friday. From 8am until 8pm, several members of the UW Cycling Team rode their bikes on stationary trainers in Library Mall to raise money for the Madison Area Safe Kids Coalition, which is a group that provides car seats and bicycle helmets to underprivileged kids in the Madison community.

I remember the event back when I was a student at UW, and it always brought a big smile to my face. You’ve got cyclists freezing their butts off, riding in the heart of campus during the dead of winter, enthusiastically pleading to their fellow students for support. To me, the event represents the kind of students, groups, and events that truly set UW-Madison apart. Students who are not only extremely bright, but community-minded, active, fun, passionate, generous, and hard-working.

If you think we’re hibernating until spring here in Madison, Wisconsin, you must be mistaken. There’s so much to love about winter here. All you have to do is learn how to embrace it.