Polar Adventure Day draws a winter crowd to the Southeast Side: ‘People are excited. People are thrilled’

In 30-degree weather, Polar Adventure Day wasn’t exactly an Arctic tundra on Saturday.

Still, there was enough snow on the ground at Big Marsh Park in South Deering for throwing snowballs, sledding and, for at least one curious 2-year-old, eating.

A team of huskies may not have gotten very far pulling traditional sleds, but they did just fine hauling bikes and three-wheeled rigs down a snowy path.

And it was still cold enough to sip hot cocoa on the house.

In other words, the free, annual event provided a comfortable way for families to celebrate the season outdoors. And hundreds turned out.

Polar Adventure Day started in Northerly Island Park in 2005 and moved to the Southeast Side following a fire that damaged Northerly Island Park Fieldhouse. In addition to meeting the huskies, patrons could watch live ice sculpting, interact with a huge, roaming dinosaur puppet, take a “forest therapy” hike, make crafts, meet live reptiles and amphibians, and participate in slacklining — similar to walking across a tightrope.

Attendees gushed about the breadth of activities and the beauty of the park, which some described as a hidden gem.

“I can’t believe how many things they have set up,” said Courtney Eilers, 39, of Albany Park, who was accompanied by a pack of Cub Scouts. “And the educational stuff is really neat. Seeing the animals, meeting the dogs. The park is amazing. We can’t wait to come back next year.”

Encompassing 299 acres, Big Marsh Park opened in 2016 and is known for its dynamic bike trails and Ford Calumet Environmental Center.

“The Southeast Side of Chicago is surrounded by natural areas and has a really rich cultural and natural history,” said Ted Gross, Chicago Park District program specialist for Northerly Island Park. “So it’s exciting for us to showcase this space both for people all over the city who haven’t been there before and, of course, for the people who live right there.”

Elly Wackerman lives in West Town and said the event provided an escape for her family, who was starting to feel stuffy packed indoors all winter.

“You feel like you’re very much in the country, even though it’s not far from the city,” she said of Big Marsh Park. “It’s really wild and you can kind of just run around, which is what we are looking for.”

Wackerman’s 3-year-old daughter happily explored one of the forts made from repurposed Christmas trees — another attraction. But the little one was especially excited about the huskies, Wackerman said.

The pups were provided by Free Spirit Siberian Rescue in Harvard, Illiinois. The organization’s dog-sledding demonstrations have been a staple of Polar Adventure Day for at least a decade, volunteer Tyler Aldin said.

“We like to bring awareness to the adoptable dogs that we have, as well as educate the public about huskies in general, and then show them that this is something you can do with your dog.”

When attendees weren’t watching artists carve lake trout and owl figures out of ice, they were engaging with real wildlife, including salamanders, snakes, lizards and snapping turtles, indoors.

Stephanie Tyler, 63, who lives in the South Loop, said the educational opportunities were important for her 3-year-old grandson.

“It’s just a lot of learning all around,” she said. “Even as far as social skills. He’s there trying to paint, communicating with other people, sharing. And you have people of all types of nationalities out here in the groups. And you have little babies and seniors like myself. You have a mixture of people, which is good.”

Attendees also were able to meet Ald. Peter Chico (10th), whose district includes the park. He said he was excited to welcome the crowd to the Southeast Side

“We’re 40 minutes in and it’s packed,” he said. “People are excited. People are thrilled. I think events like this bring awareness and really bring folks here and keep them coming here.”