Your guide to the 2017 Coralville WinterFest

CORALVILLE - Hundreds of area residents are expected to gather this weekend for an event aimed at bringing families together for some post-holiday fun.

The 10th annual Coralville WinterFest takes place from 1 to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Iowa River Landing. Most of the events take place inside the exhibit hall at the Marriott Hotel & Conference Center, 300 E. Ninth St.

'Originally, the Johnson County Historical Society came up with the idea for this event,” said Scott Prochaska, recreation superintendent for Coralville Parks & Recreation and chairman of the WinterFest planning committee. 'The idea was to show off the Iowa River Landing and create and activity when there was a lull after the holidays.

'The goal is to get families out and engaged in fun.”

Prochaska said the event typically draws between 500 and 1,500 guests, depending on the weather. An early forecast from the National Weather Service calls for cloudy skies with a chance of rain and high temperatures near 47 degrees on Sunday.

Prochaska said 90 percent of the events take place inside the exhibit hall, though some are planned at other Iowa River Landing venues or outdoors. Nearly everything planned is free of charge, though event organizers are asking those who attend to bring food items for donation to the Coralville Ecumenical Food Pantry. Items can be dropped off just inside the exhibit hall doors.

Parking at the event is free in the south Marriott surface lot.

For more information about the event, visit coralville.org or call (319) 248-1750.

Here are 10 reasons why you might want to check out WinterFest:

1. Hop on for a horse-drawn trolley ride around Iowa River Landing. Rides are offered by Country Gentleman's Horse & Carriage Service, owned by Morris and Linda Dolph of Waterloo. The trolley stop is outside the Iowa City Area Association of Realtors office at 847 Quarry Road.

2. Join the Iowa Children's Museum for its annual indoor snowball fight. Grab some balled up socks and have a blast.

3. Stop by the Coralville Public Library table and have your picture taken using fun props at their photo booth. You can also test your putting skills on their putt-putt golf hole.

4. Learn about winter bird-watching with the Iowa City Bird Club, which is to have telescopes for viewing birds set up along the Iowa River on the Marriott terrace.

5. Have balloon artist Papa Balloon make you a bicycle, frog, bat, space alien, dog, cat, sword or other creation. He's been creating balloon art since 1978.

6. Become part of the artwork with a visit to Funny Face Designs by Lori.

7. Create a family memory by visiting Willustrations by Will Beard, a local caricature artist. He's making his second appearance at WinterFest this year.

8. Sample some delicious root beer at Backpocket Brewery, 903 Quarry Road.

9. Experience the thrill of riding a fat tire bike as Trail's End Bikes of Coralville offers you the chance throughout the afternoon. Hop on outside the exhibit hall.

10. Enjoy the Eulenspiegel puppet show titled, 'A Magical Winter's Night,” at 1:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. and a Native American drumming exhibition at 2 p.m. and 3:30 p.m. in the exhibit hall.

Prochaska said there are many other family activities planned during WinterFest, including a raffle for items donated by local businesses. Tickets are two for $1.

In addition, attendees are to be given an event passport they can have stamped by visiting different areas of the event for a chance at winning door prizes.

'I encourage everyone to come out for a great day of free family fun,” said Prochaska. 'And remember to bring your food item to donate.”