Let the Russians have their snow and join in some different events at the “Biscayne Wintergames!” As the Olympic Games highlight athletic prowess this month in Sochi, Biscayne National Park’s Family Fun Fest puts on some games of its own on Sunday, February 9 from 1-4 p.m. The free event takes place at the park’s Dante Fascell Visitor Center, 9 miles east of Homestead. Visitors are also encouraged to ride the free Homestead National Parks Trolley to and from the event. Visit www.CityofHomestead.com/Gateway for trolley details.

“Biscayne Wintergames” will feature five hands-on and engaging activity stations located around the visitor center. An additional Family Fun Fest Junior station offers an opportunity for creative play for toddlers. The 6 stations are:

• Torch Relay – Light your torch with firebush, fire sponge and other flaming park residents!
• Curling – Make your own Portuguese man-o-war to learn about curling tentacles!
• Skates – Discover little-known relatives of sharks and rays that lay eggs.
• “Metal” Ceremony – For the first time ever, get a behind-the-scenes look at a REAL working archaeology lab and the metal artifacts brought up from a shipwreck last summer.
• Biscayne Biathlon – Try marching across the “seagrass” in a pair of snowshoes while shooting lionfish along the way.
• Wrestling Trash Junior – A special station for parents with toddlers!

Participants receive a passport to get stamped at each activity station, and those who complete all five activities (or two activities for Family Fun Fest Junior participants) will earn a specially-designed button to remember the day. Earning all five buttons in a season earns a Family Fun Fest Fanatic award in April.

Upcoming Family Fun Fests this season include:

• Down on the Farm – March 9, 2014 – Sea cows, seahorses, porkfish and BARN-acles!
• A Sesame Street Salute – April 13, 2014 – The fuzzy monsters, giant birds and math-loving vampires are all back as we salute a kids TV classic!

Family Fun Fest is made possible through the donations of generous visitors and the Bobby Duryea Fund at the South Florida National Parks Trust, with additional support from the Biscayne Bay Aquatic Preserves and a host of dedicated volunteers.

The Dante Fascell Visitor Center is located at 9700 SW 328 Street, nine miles east of Homestead, Florida. Call 305-230-7275, extension 0 or visit the park’s website at www.nps.gov/bisc for more information. For regular updates from the park, “like” us on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/BiscayneNPS and “follow” us on Twitter at www.twitter.com/BiscayneNPS.

Logo courtesy National Park Service