Beat the Bitter: A guide to North Liberty’s winter festival

NORTH LIBERTY - In an effort to fight the wintertime blues, get folks outside moving around and encourage community interaction, an enthusiastic group of North Liberty residents is planning the second annual Beat the Bitter festival Feb. 3-4.

An offshoot of the North Liberty Betterment Group, the Beat the Bitter planning committee - in cooperation with a handful of sponsors and local businesses and organizations - has put together two days of family activities, winter games and outdoor fun.

A full schedule of activities and registration information is available online at beatthebitter.com.

Here are 10 highlights of the festival to whet your appetite:

1. Feb. 3 is 'Family Night” at Beat the Bitter and it's all about fire and ice. After school lets out, take the kids to Penn Meadows Park for horse drawn carriage rides, hot chocolate and an ice carving demonstration. Meet Elsa and Anna from Disney's 'Frozen,” and enjoy a community bonfire from 5:30 to 9 p.m. and a fireworks show at 7 p.m.

2. There won't be sand, but their will be snow volleyball from 6 to 9 p.m. Feb. 3 at J&A Tap, 440 N. Dubuque St. Cost is $10 per player and the format is a MadHatter tournament, meaning teams of six players are randomly selected throughout the event. This is a great way to meet new people. Register online. 3. Test your scavenging abilities at the Nearly Impossible Scavenger Hunt, which takes place from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 4. A list of items to find is to be released at 9 a.m. that day at beatthebitter.com. Collect as many as you can and bring them to the splash pad at Penn Meadows Park at p.m. to be counted.

4. Put on your running shoes and head out for the Indomitable Snow Run - a '5k-ish fun run with obstacles” - at 9 a.m. Feb. 4. Cost is $15 online before Feb. 2 or $20 the day of the race. Participants are to receive a pair of Beat the Bitter gloves.

5. Get a team together for the 'Kick Winter in the Snow Ball” kickball tournaments. A family division tourney starts at 10 a.m. Feb. 4 and a tournament for adult teams starts at 11 a.m. at Penn Meadows Park. Cost is $75 for family teams; $100 for adult teams. Register online.

6. Compete in the 'Freeze Your Bags Off” cornhole tournament beginning at 10 a.m. Feb. 4 at Penn Meadows Park. It's double elimination and the winning team takes home a new handcrafted bags set worth more than $250. Entry fee is $10. Register online.

7. Take a free ride on a fat tire bike from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 4. Riders age 14 and up can participate. Check-in at Sugar Bottom Bikes, 325 N. Dubuque St., across from the park. Helmets and a signed waiver are required.

8. Assuming their is snow on the ground, grab a pair of snowshoes from Fin & Feather and given them a try from noon to 4 p.m. Feb. 4. The 30-minute excursions are free.

9. Dig in as North Liberty Boy Scout Troop 216 hosts a chili supper from 4:30 to 7 p.m. Feb. 4 at the North Liberty Community Center, 520 W. Cherry St. Cost is $5; children age 5 and younger eat for free.

10. If you haven't had enough fun after the festival ends, head out Sunday, Feb. 5, for the Freezin' for a Reason Polar Jump to raise funds for the North Liberty Police Department's K-9 fund. The event is from 10 a.m. to noon at West Lakes Pond, located behind North Bend Elementary School, 2230 St. Andrews Drive. A $100 donation allows you to take the polar plunge into the chilly water. Register online.