Winter Fest set for today at SIR

The annual Winter Fest, formerly known as Snow Fest, is an outdoor community festival to benefit Big Brothers and Big Sisters of the Sun Coast and will be held today at the Sebring International Raceway.

The festival begins at 10 a.m. and ends at 4 p.m. It is presented this year by AT&T.

Admission is $5 and helps pay for staff and programs. Children ages 3 and younger get in for free.

"We've had up to 2,000 people attend, so it's going to be a large event," said Tameesha Hudson, community resource director for Big Brothers and Big Sisters.

The actual snow will be delivered at about 7 a.m. today by semi-truck cooler, when a crew shreds up blocks of ice, according to Jackie Young, the organization's customer relations representative.

"We are going to have one large pile of snow, but there will also be many other things to do," said Young.

Other things for the kids to do includes a four-way jumper, in which four kids can be strapped into at one time to see how high they can jump, and rock wall climbing.

There will be inflatable entertainment such as bounce houses.

"These are going to be great and include a few activities they'll be able to do," she said.

There will also be food and entertainment.

Hog Heaven will be selling barbecue, the Kiwanis Club will sell hamburgers and hot dogs, Grace Bible Church will hold its "Chili-Cook-Off" and You Scream Ice Cream will have its icy treats for sale.

Entertainment will include the finalists and runners-up from the Heartland Idol contest as well as a martial arts demonstration by a local school.

Highlands County Sheriff's Deputies Wayne Gunn and Tom Fort will put on a demonstration with their respective K-9 partners Sarge and Zeus.

The West Sebring Volunteer Fire Department will have its own demonstration, with six volunteer firefighters, its Class A Engine 9 and a new piece of apparatus, an off highway vehicle - Utility 9 - which will have to be "trailered in," according to Chief Scott Mann.

They will also have their 10-foot inflatable "Walk Around Doll" that will interact with the children.

Toby's Clowns will be there and Sebring High School will have face painting.

The Big Red Bus, blood mobile will be on hand for people that want to donate blood.

The Big Brothers and Big Sisters office is located at 279 U.S. 27 N., next to the Bulb Bin.