5 UNIQUE, FREE FAMILY-FRIENDLY WINTER ACTIVITIES IN OGDEN

By Kari Harbath

THINGS TO DO

Artwork by Angelika Brewer (@signed_a.b.) on printed holiday cards, on sale now. Email angelikabrewer@gmail.com for more information.

There’s no doubt Christmas Village, the Electric Lights Parade, walking 25th Street, and the winterey magic Ogden has to offer makes living here all that more worth it (which is why so many Christmas movies and shows have been filmed here—like My Christmas Prince!).

But what about those days where you need a simple, free thing to do during the wintertime? Here’s a quick list of some of our faves. (Please share yours too!)

Feed the Ducks at Beus Pond

Ogden’s feathered friends at Beus get hungry and they need to eat! Especially those giant white mean geese that scare everyone (even your tough uncle who revs his Harley down Washington every Saturday morning). But just remember: only give out cracked corn. Bread does more harm than good. (Don’t believe me? Google it or read more here.)

Clean your community with ACTUtahpick up trash and get free stuff

Litter builds up over the winter and the Association for a Cleaner Tomorrow—ACT—is an awesome nonprofit dedicated to cleaning up public lands in Utah. You can follow them on IG, FB, or sign up for email updates. Best part? Get your family engaged in cleaning up the trash littering our local public lands, too. It makes the world a cleaner, safer place.

Sledding at Barker Park

Okay, we know this is technically in North Ogden—but we’re all one big Ogden fam, right?! And sure, Barker Park is notorious for its awesome amphitheater and big firework show on the fourth every year, but how about those hills? Take your sled (or your neighbor’s!) to Barker Park for a perfect sled ride with the fam. Or, level it up with ice blocking. You brave soul, you.

Take a stroll along the Ogden River Trail

Bundle up, grab a thermos of hot chocolate, and take a stroll down the Ogden River Parkway. With its majestic and magical river and trees, the parkway is largely underrated in the winter. Just be careful on those icy patches!

Indoorsy? Volunteer!

As mentioned in the article linked above, getting local and volunteering is a great way to beat the winter blues. Some places we recommend getting involved with are the Treehouse Children’s Museum, Ogden VA, or the Lantern House. But Ogden is overflowing with opportunities to get involved and support our community—so just beginning and researching your passions on a local level is a great way to get started. Here’s our list of great places to volunteer in Ogden.

Kari Harbath

Kari Harbath grew up in Ogden, UT with a rich childhood fully immersed in all Ogden has to offer. Kari was part of the first set of students at DaVinci Charter School, she volunteered and worked at Treehouse Children’s Museum for ten years, and eventually graduated from Weber State University in 2014 with a Bachelor’s degree in Communication. Kari currently works at a Utah-based tech company, Pluralsight. During her tenure at Pluralsight, Kari has worked with international authors and helped in managing social media coverage of Pluralsight LIVE: including covering keynote speeches from Michelle Obama and Malala Yousafzai.Kari is mom to an awesome disabled toddler, Sloan, who is diagnosed with CHARGE syndrome and profoundly DeafBlind. Not long after Sloan’s birth, Kari’s mom – Kim McCorkle-Harbath (founder of the Come Together Community Meal) died unexpectedly. Several months after that Kari’s dear husband of 13 years and Sloan’s wonderful dad unexpectedly died as well. Through an extremely challenging few years of change and loss for her family, Kari believes there truly is healing through advocacy and community engagement. Kari aims to de-stigmatize mental health issues, openly support others on their own grief journey, and advocate for disability rights and resources. She writes and connects with others through her website (kariharbath.com) and Instagram account (@kariandsloan) and runs the Sloan's Scrunchies booth with her sister Kassie at local events: donating the funds to the Kim McCorkle-Harbath Memorial Scholarship at Weber State University. Kari has been featured on several podcasts, was the recipient of the 2020 Upworthy Lead with Love award, and serves as a commissioner on Ogden's own Diversity Commission. Sloan currently attends the Utah Schools for the Deaf and Blind, where Kari is on the advisory council. In her work at The Ogdenite, Kari aims to uplift unheard voices in Ogden through her writing: with empathy and realism!

http://www.kariharbath.com
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