Surviving an arctic cold front and several days of -30°C/-22°F weather has two, non-frostbite-related side effects: 1) the feeling that everything else winter throws your way is a cakewalk; and 2) a severe case of cabin fever.
Luckily, the former can be used to combat the latter. So pack your mittens and climb into your long johns, because we have broken down some of the winters best outdoor activities and events occurring in the first quarter of 2014. Don’t miss out — it’s never too cold to have FOMO.
Igloofest – Montreal – January 16-February 8
Yeah, skiing’s pretty cool. You get to breathe the mountain air, feel the fresh snowfall, yadda yadda yadda. Name all the upsides you want, but the fact is there’s no better reason to put on a snowsuit than Igloofest. This year marks the eighth edition of Montreal’s outdoor electronic festival, whose lineup features top DJs such as Matthew Dear, Skream, Misstress Barbara, and Just Blaze, as well as a slew of visual artists to liven up the main stage. Drastically subzero temperatures are celebrated here and responded to with mulled wine, spiked coffee, and hot chocolate. Besides, if last year’s record-breaking crowds tell us anything, it’s that Montreal partiers are just starting to warm up.
What’s Really Good:
The line-up of top tier DJs is of course appealing, but they’re not what makes Igloofest unique; they tour North America all year long. But 10,000 people dancing for hours in -20°C/-4°F weather? That doesn’t happen just anywhere. First, you need a city that actually gets that cold. Second, you need a city with the spirit and audacity to brave that cold. Basically, you need Montreal. As everyone who has ever been can attest, once you’re out there, you don’t party halfway.
What You’ll Want to Know:
In those temperatures, you’re going to need that mulled wine and spiked coffee, and you will not want to wait in line at one of the rare ATM machines. Bring cash. And the kitschier your snowsuit, the better.
The Heritage Classic is the biggest event that takes major league hockey back where the sport started: outdoors. Of course, the rink is a little more sophisticated than early versions of the frozen pond, but the idea, the cold, and the toques remain a constant. The series launched in 2003 with a game in Edmonton. Fans applauded the initiative, and the Canadian-heavy Heritage Classic inspired a yearly Winter Classic in the United States, also in the NHL. The 2011 edition, hosted in Calgary, brought in record revenue, and the league is now more eager for Canadian participation: a third game will occur on March 2nd in Vancouver between the Ottawa Senators and the home city’s Canucks, with a fourth already being planned in Winnipeg.
What’s Really Good:
Read up on fan reactions online. Phrases like “once in a lifetime experience,” “electric and infectious,” “a true privilege,” “the memories will remain vivid,” and “five-star event” abound. In other words, it’s a regular NHL match, except people are twice as excited to be there, and there are twice as many of those people. What’s not to love?
What You’ll Want to Know:
Don’t rush out of Vancouver after the game: the city is bound to get even more hockey crazy than usual, and the food scene is a good reason to stay an extra day or two. Our favorite spot? Guu Izakaya, in Gastown.
For the occasion, both teams will don vintage-inspired jerseys paying homage to their history – and you can get your own here. Party outfit: sorted.
In its 13th year, the SobeWFF is a four-day food and wine festival presented by FOOD & WINE. It’s a star-studded weekend centered around the concepts of philanthropy and chefs, culinary personalities, and renowned wine and spirits producers. Basically, it’s a full four days of food, drinks, and celebs all for the good cause of raising money for the FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center.
The events range from lunches and brunches to cocktails, late night parties, and grand tastings that host over 100 different restaurants and chefs, samples of fine wine and alcohol, and interactive activities by top sponsors.
What’s Really Good:
Whether you’re a foodie or not, you’d enjoy this festival. Let alone the fact that seeing Chuck Hughes’s demo getting crashed by Guy Fieri and Robert Irvine is a normal occurrence, you might even have the luck of rubbing shoulders with Iron Chef Morimoto or Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis. If that doesn’t impress you, there will be food (lots of it) and alcohol. FREE alcohol.
What You’ll Want to Know:
Grand tastings are hectic. They also have a lot of swag, so pack lightly and expect to leave with a bag full of goodies. Although there’s an unlimited supply of cocktails and vino, please take responsibility because no one is cute blackout drunk. Most importantly, stretchy pants are always a good idea.
Flooding the city of Austin, Texas, SXSW is an annual series of film, music, and media festivals and conferences that takes place in mid-March. The main focus of the ten-day, three-industry set of events is to aid in the ever increasing convergence of entertainment and media outlets.
This isn’t a run-of-the-mill, big budget music festival: SXSW is a fully encompassing event with keynote speakers, conferences, parties, film screenings, workshops, and many more interactive elements that allow its audience to engage with its target industries.
What’s Really Good:
Over the course of the ten days, you will be exposed to internationally recognizable names as well as up-and-coming talent in the music, film, and interactive media industries. In the past, keynote speakers have included people such as Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Bruce Springsteen, and even Quincy Jones.
Austin takes it’s food scene very seriously, which means that SXSW is not only about the music festival and interactive panel discussions. There are certain spots you can’t afford to miss out on, starting with SouthBites. Located directly across from the Convention Center, it is a selection of gourmet food trucks “curated” by local celebrity chef Paul Qui.
What You’ll Want to Know:
This year, the Film keynote speaker will be Casey Neistat, the NYC filmmaker who produced the viral video “What Would You do with $25,000?” that spent the promotional budget for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty on relief aid in the Philippines. GO.CHECK.HIM.OUT.
This high-energy, high-risk, international extreme sporting event is a winter must-see. 64 riders will strap on their skates to compete in a 600m steep downhill course for victory. Garnering a crowd of over 100,000 spectators, this is the finale of the international competition, hosted by the picturesque winter wonderland that is Quebec City. The rules are simple: first one to the bottom alive is (debateably) a winner.
What’s Really Good:
The event is sponsored by an industry marketing leader in RedBull, so you know it’s a guaranteed good time. Not only does the course include jumps, rollers, steep hills, ice, skates, and other obstacles, but the competitors can reach a speed of up to 70km/h.
What You’ll Want To Know:
Ice Cross Downhill is a real sport.
If you’re unable to make the trip to QC the event will be live-streamed on their official website.
Honorable Mentions:
World Ski & Snowboard Festival – Whistler – Apr. 11-20th
Ride Shakedown – St. Sauver – Apr. 4-5th
Polar Bear plunge – Seaside Heights – Feb. 22nd
SnowBall Music Festival – Denver – Apr. 4-6th
Ultra Music Festival – Miami – Mar. 28-30th
Surviving an arctic cold front and several days of -30°C/-22°F weather has two, non-frostbite-related side effects: 1) the feeling that everything else winter throws your way is a cakewalk; and 2) a severe case of cabin fever.
Luckily, the former can be used to combat the latter. So pack your mittens and climb into your long johns, because we have broken down some of the winters best outdoor activities and events occurring in the first quarter of 2014. Don't miss out -- it's never too cold to have FOMO.
Igloofest - Montreal - January 16-February 8
Yeah, skiing’s pretty cool. You get to breathe the mountain air, feel the fresh snowfall, yadda yadda yadda. Name all the upsides you want, but the fact is there’s no better reason to put on a snowsuit than Igloofest. This year marks the eighth edition of Montreal’s outdoor electronic festival, whose lineup features top DJs such as Matthew Dear, Skream, Misstress Barbara, and Just Blaze, as well as a slew of visual artists to liven up the main stage. Drastically subzero temperatures are celebrated here and responded to with mulled wine, spiked coffee, and hot chocolate. Besides, if last year’s record-breaking crowds tell us anything, it’s that Montreal partiers are just starting to warm up.
What’s Really Good:
The line-up of top tier DJs is of course appealing, but they’re not what makes Igloofest unique; they tour North America all year long. But 10,000 people dancing for hours in -20°C/-4°F weather? That doesn’t happen just anywhere. First, you need a city that actually gets that cold. Second, you need a city with the spirit and audacity to brave that cold. Basically, you need Montreal. As everyone who has ever been can attest, once you’re out there, you don’t party halfway.
What You’ll Want to Know:
In those temperatures, you’re going to need that mulled wine and spiked coffee, and you will not want to wait in line at one of the rare ATM machines. Bring cash. And the kitschier your snowsuit, the better.
Heritage Classic - Vancouver - March 2nd
The Heritage Classic is the biggest event that takes major league hockey back where the sport started: outdoors. Of course, the rink is a little more sophisticated than early versions of the frozen pond, but the idea, the cold, and the toques remain a constant. The series launched in 2003 with a game in Edmonton. Fans applauded the initiative, and the Canadian-heavy Heritage Classic inspired a yearly Winter Classic in the United States, also in the NHL. The 2011 edition, hosted in Calgary, brought in record revenue, and the league is now more eager for Canadian participation: a third game will occur on March 2nd in Vancouver between the Ottawa Senators and the home city’s Canucks, with a fourth already being planned in Winnipeg.
What’s Really Good:
Read up on fan reactions online. Phrases like “once in a lifetime experience,” “electric and infectious,” “a true privilege,” “the memories will remain vivid,” and “five-star event” abound. In other words, it’s a regular NHL match, except people are twice as excited to be there, and there are twice as many of those people. What’s not to love?
What You’ll Want to Know:
Don’t rush out of Vancouver after the game: the city is bound to get even more hockey crazy than usual, and the food scene is a good reason to stay an extra day or two. Our favorite spot? Guu Izakaya, in Gastown.
For the occasion, both teams will don vintage-inspired jerseys paying homage to their history - and you can get your own here. Party outfit: sorted. South Beach Wine & Food Festival - Miami - Feb 20-23
In its 13th year, the SobeWFF is a four-day food and wine festival presented by FOOD & WINE. It’s a star-studded weekend centered around the concepts of philanthropy and chefs, culinary personalities, and renowned wine and spirits producers. Basically, it’s a full four days of food, drinks, and celebs all for the good cause of raising money for the FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center.
The events range from lunches and brunches to cocktails, late night parties, and grand tastings that host over 100 different restaurants and chefs, samples of fine wine and alcohol, and interactive activities by top sponsors.
What’s Really Good:
Whether you’re a foodie or not, you’d enjoy this festival. Let alone the fact that seeing Chuck Hughes’s demo getting crashed by Guy Fieri and Robert Irvine is a normal occurrence, you might even have the luck of rubbing shoulders with Iron Chef Morimoto or Food Network’s Giada De Laurentiis. If that doesn’t impress you, there will be food (lots of it) and alcohol. FREE alcohol.
What You’ll Want to Know:
Grand tastings are hectic. They also have a lot of swag, so pack lightly and expect to leave with a bag full of goodies. Although there’s an unlimited supply of cocktails and vino, please take responsibility because no one is cute blackout drunk. Most importantly, stretchy pants are always a good idea.
South by Southwest - Austin - March 7-16
Flooding the city of Austin, Texas, SXSW is an annual series of film, music, and media festivals and conferences that takes place in mid-March. The main focus of the ten-day, three-industry set of events is to aid in the ever increasing convergence of entertainment and media outlets.
This isn’t a run-of-the-mill, big budget music festival: SXSW is a fully encompassing event with keynote speakers, conferences, parties, film screenings, workshops, and many more interactive elements that allow its audience to engage with its target industries.
What’s Really Good:
Over the course of the ten days, you will be exposed to internationally recognizable names as well as up-and-coming talent in the music, film, and interactive media industries. In the past, keynote speakers have included people such as Mark Cuban, Mark Zuckerberg, Bruce Springsteen, and even Quincy Jones.
Austin takes it’s food scene very seriously, which means that SXSW is not only about the music festival and interactive panel discussions. There are certain spots you can’t afford to miss out on, starting with SouthBites. Located directly across from the Convention Center, it is a selection of gourmet food trucks "curated" by local celebrity chef Paul Qui.
What You’ll Want to Know:
This year, the Film keynote speaker will be Casey Neistat, the NYC filmmaker who produced the viral video “What Would You do with $25,000?” that spent the promotional budget for The Secret Life of Walter Mitty on relief aid in the Philippines. GO.CHECK.HIM.OUT.
Redbull Crashed Ice Finale - Quebec City - March 20-22
This high-energy, high-risk, international extreme sporting event is a winter must-see. 64 riders will strap on their skates to compete in a 600m steep downhill course for victory. Garnering a crowd of over 100,000 spectators, this is the finale of the international competition, hosted by the picturesque winter wonderland that is Quebec City. The rules are simple: first one to the bottom alive is (debateably) a winner.
What’s Really Good:
The event is sponsored by an industry marketing leader in RedBull, so you know it’s a guaranteed good time. Not only does the course include jumps, rollers, steep hills, ice, skates, and other obstacles, but the competitors can reach a speed of up to 70km/h.
What You’ll Want To Know:
Ice Cross Downhill is a real sport.
If you’re unable to make the trip to QC the event will be live-streamed on their official website.
Honorable Mentions:
World Ski & Snowboard Festival - Whistler - Apr. 11-20th
Ride Shakedown - St. Sauver - Apr. 4-5th
Polar Bear plunge - Seaside Heights - Feb. 22nd
SnowBall Music Festival - Denver - Apr. 4-6th
Ultra Music Festival - Miami - Mar. 28-30th