HARBORCENTER, ECHDC announce Winter Festival

Three-day event will complement the Women's U18 World Hockey Championship

HARBORCENTER President John Koelmel and Erie Canal Harbor Development Corp. President Tom Dee today announced plans for the 2015 HARBORCENTER Winterfest at Canalside, a three-day event that takes place Jan. 9-11 in the Canalside district, concurrent with the medal round of the IIHF Women's Under-18 World Championship at HARBORCENTER.

"Winterfest is another opportunity for us to partner with ECHDC to further encourage our community to experience all that Canalside already has to offer," Koelmel said. "Coupled with the Women's World Championship being contested at HARBORCENTER, the weekend's activities will be a terrific complement to our rinks, (716) Food and Sport, and Tim Hortons, as well as The Ice at Canalside and the many other venues in and around our waterfront. It will make for a fun and enjoyable weekend for families and visitors of all ages."

"Coming on the heels of our spectacular grand opening of The Ice at Canalside and the tremendous crowds that have been enjoying our fabulous outdoor rink during the holiday break, we're pleased to again join with HARBORCENTER to further that momentum by co-hosting Winterfest at Canalside," Dee said. "We're proud to continue to work with our district partners to promote this transformative, year-round activity space and bring excitement to Buffalo's waterfront for all to enjoy."

The 2015 HARBORCENTER Winterfest at Canalside begins with an outdoor happy hour Friday at 5:30 p.m. on the sidewalk in front of (716) Food and Sport. Guests will enjoy live music, food and drink from (716), and opportunities to win prizes from the Buffalo Sabres and One Buffalo.

Saturday's festivities begin at 10 a.m. In addition to outdoor skating on the Ice at Canalside, there will be free horse-drawn carriage rides around the Canalside district. Explore & More Children's Museum will provide free children's programing, and Tifft Nature Preserve will organize free activities to enjoy the season's elements.

Visitors can stay warm while enjoying food and drink in a nearby heated tent with DJ music. During the day, hockey fans will have a chance to meet members of the Team USA Women's Under-18 team who will be competing in the World Championship at HARBORCENTER.

The 2015 HARBORCENTER Winterfest at Canalside will wrap up Sunday, as the semi-final round of the Women's U18 World Championship begins. Sunday's Winterfest activities go from noon until 5 p.m. Sabretooth and members of the Sabres Alumni Association will make appearances throughout the entire weekend, while HARBORCENTER conducts social media contests and other opportunities for guests to win prizes from the Buffalo Sabres and One Buffalo.

Throughout the week, ice sculptures, lighting and banners will create a festive environment to enhance the daily experience for all guests and visitors.

In addition to the final rounds of the Women's U18 Championship, The Rinks at HARBORCENTER will host two Canisius College games against conference rival Holy Cross as well as several Junior Sabres games over the weekend.

For daily updates on the events of HARBORCENTER Winterfest at Canalside, visit www.CanalsideBuffalo.com.