The White Lake Snow Farmers will again present the annual White Lake Wanderland Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 8-9, with several activities to encourage residents and visitors alike to enjoy the winter in the area.
One of the highlight activities during the Wanderland will be the cardboard sled race at the Hanson Street sledding hill. Registration for the event will take place at 11 a.m. Feb. 8, with racing from noon to 1 p.m. Last year, the lack of snow on the sledding hill, owing to the mild winter, resulted in the race being tweaked into a cardboard sled show. The winter storm that blew through the White Lake area last week, hopefully, will negate the possibility of that situation repeating itself. Prizes will be awarded after the cardboard sled race.
"It's a lot of fun getting people out and seeing kids on the sledding hill in their cardboard sleds," said John Hanson of the White Lake Snow Farmers.
"Hopefully it'll bring people to town and get people involved."
During the sled race, Hanson said, the Hanson Hill Waterfront Grill will provide free hot chocolate to race participants and viewers, and will also serve $1 hot dogs and $5 Chicago-style hot dogs.
Sawyers Brewing will host the Snowshoe Shuffle from 3-5 p.m. Feb. 8 at Buttermilk Creek Park behind the Montague post office. Participants will be welcomed to collect letters along the snowy path and unscramble them to unlock a prize. There will be a fire pit and free s'mores and hot chocolate at the Shuffle, and Dog 'n Suds will be open nearby serving $2 coney dogs. Following the Shuffle, North Grove Brewers will serve spiked hot cocoa from 5-7 p.m.
Sunday will feature a snow sculpture contest sponsored by the Busy Bee Cafe. "Organic material", Hanson said, would sub in for snow if needed.
Throughout the weekend, there will also be a Frosty team-based scavenger hunt. Hanson said there will be pictures posted to social media Friday afternoon, Feb. 7, with "a little tin snowman" in each one, and teams will be challenged to find where the snowman has been. Teams then take group selfies in each location and post them using the hashtag #WLwanderland2025 and compete for prizes.
