SUNY Oswego's Rice Creek Field Station invites the public to the fifth annual Celebrate Snow winter festival on Saturday, Feb. 15, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (with a severe weather date of Feb. 18).

This year's festival includes indoor and outdoor activities related to snow and winter, with options for both kids and adults — including several new attractions.

New activities for the 2025 festival include cross-country skiing (adult sizes available to borrow), a winter mindfulness walk led by Cory Brosch of the university's Counseling Services, viewing the sun through telescopes with the Rice Creek Observatory’s Kamal Jabbour, “How to Sink an Ice Cube” with the SUNY Oswego Chemistry Club, face painting, creating snowy paintings with watercolor and salt, and displays of books and artifacts by Penfield Library and its University Archives.

Returning this year for the second time, visitors will have the opportunity to learn about and observe the sport of skijoring — skiing with the assistance of dogs. Visitors can meet local author and former competitive skijor athlete Betsy Waterman and her friendly dogs, obtain a signed copy of her book "Running Silently" and see a skijoring demonstration.

Additional outdoor activities will include snowshoeing (youth and adult sizes available) and a winter-themed Story Time by the campfire with Oswego Public Library Children’s Librarian Cathryn McVearry. Visitors can also warm up with hot cocoa and s’mores by the campfire, learn about animal tracks, catch and observe snowflakes and enjoy sledding on the small hills near the building (bring your own sled).

Indoors, a plethora of activities await, suitable for various age levels, including a play and learn station hosted by the Children’s Museum of Oswego, mammal track-making with air-dry clay and STEAM activities.

Adults will enjoy learning more about Oswego’s weather with SUNY Oswego’s Meteorology Club and professor Katelyn Barber, animal adaptations to winter with SUNY Oswego’s Zoology Club, the Maple on Tap project led by the Office of Sustainability and how to identify winter backyard birds as part of the Great Backyard Bird Count citizen science effort.

The event schedule and additional event details are available at oswego.edu/celebrate-snow. For questions,  email rcfs@oswego.edu or call 315.312.6677.

Located on nearly 400 acres of mixed terrain accessible from Thompson Road, Rice Creek Field Station has served as a living and working laboratory and educational facility for more than 50 years. In 2013, the facility opened a 7,700-square-foot, state-of-the-art visitor center. Rice Creek’s five miles of hiking trails are open daily from dawn until dusk. Building hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturdays.