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Wassail Days celebration returns to Frisco in December

The inaugural Ugly Sweater Challenge takes place at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. Ugly holiday sweaters are required at this event, which celebrates all things holiday with a tongue-in-cheek challenge on Main Street.
Special to the Daily | iStockphoto

Frisco Wassail Days schedule

• Friday, Dec. 5

5-7 p.m. — Carolers on Main Street

6 p.m. —Frisco Holiday Tree Lighting, Frisco Historic Park Gazebo

• Saturday, Dec. 6

10 a.m. to noon: Santa visits, Frisco Historic Park Museum, pictures welcome

Noon to 2 p.m. — Carolers on Main Street

• Sunday, Dec. 7

4-6 p.m. — The Soup Cup Classic, Frisco Adventure Park Day Lodge

• Tuesday, Dec. 9

6- 8 p.m. — Santa’s Calling

• Thursday, Dec. 11

10 a.m. to 4 p.m. — Frisco Adventure Park Free Day

Friday, Dec. 12

5-8 p.m. — Wassail Night at the Museum, Frisco Historic Park & Museum

• Saturday, Dec.13

9-11 a.m. — Breakfast with Santa, Backcountry Brewery

11 a.m. to 1 p.m. — Santa visits, Frisco Historic Park Museum, pictures welcome

4 p.m. — Inaugural Ugly Sweater Challenge

4-6 p.m. — Carolers on Main Street

Wassail Days return to Frisco from Friday, Dec. 5, through Sunday, Dec. 14. This weeklong celebration of all things winter and holidays this year includes some additions, like 500 luminaries on Frisco’s Main Street for the tree lighting on the evening of Friday, Dec. 5, and an Ugly Sweater Challenge on the afternoon of Saturday, Dec. 13.

Returning events include Santa visits, free activities at the Frisco Adventure Park, Breakfast with Santa, a Wassail Night at the Museum and Santa’s Calling.

“The holidays are so unique and lovely in the Colorado Rocky Mountains,” said Nora Gilbertson, Frisco special events manager. “It is as if we were living in a quaint little snow globe, complete with snow for the holidays, festivities around crackling fires and twinkling lights up and down every street. Yep, it’s Mayberry.



“We want to celebrate our little slice of mountain magic by welcoming everyone with 500 luminaries on Main Street, with free wassail tastings, by giving kids a chance to visit with Santa and by providing a chance for folks to get funky with a whacky Ugly Sweater Challenge. This is a unique, laidback and fun-loving town, and Wassail Days embodies that.”



BREAK OUT THE SWEATERS

The inaugural Ugly Sweater Challenge takes place at 4 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 13. Ugly holiday sweaters are required at this event, which celebrates all things holiday with a tongue-in-cheek challenge on Main Street. Participants are invited to take on five “holiday challenges” from Seventh Avenue to the finish at the Frisco Historic Park. Challenges will include traditional holiday tasks such as target practice with fruitcakes and eggnog shooters (nonalcoholic to keep participants in top form). Summit Hot Yoga, Cross Fit Low Oxygen and Whole Foods will also be providing some of the obstacles.

Prizes will be awarded for best ugly holiday sweater, best team of ugly holiday sweaters and best dog ugly holiday sweater. An ugly sweater after-party at Greco’s will follow the awards. Registration is $15 per person and is available online. Dogs and children younger than 5 are free. Registration includes a Frisco beanie, a chance to show off your sweater and a whole bunch of glory for participating in the inaugural year.

RETURNING EVENTS

Local restaurants and amateur cooks will again duke it out for the titles of best professional soup and best amateur soup, respectively, at The Soup Cup Classic on Sunday, Dec. 7. Guests will be the judges as they sample soup and vote for their favorite professional and amateur soups. Tickets are $30 for adults and $15 for kids 12 and younger and include unlimited soup tasting, two drinks (New Belgium beer for guests 21 and older) and two hours of unlimited tubing from 4 to 6 p.m. (a combined $50 value). Tickets will be available online or at the door. Guests are invited to bring a new toy for the Summit County Adopt an Angel program to be entered into a door-prize drawing for a family tubing season pass.

Through Tuesday, Dec. 9, at 2 p.m., Frisco Town Hall, Frisco Adventure Park, Frisco Historic Park, Summit County Public Library, Summit County Preschool, Frisco/Copper Information Center and Stork and Bear Clothing Co. will all be accepting call requests from boys and girls who want to talk to Santa on the phone about their holiday wishes. And on Tuesday, Dec. 9, from 6 to 8 p.m., Santa will be calling all the boys and girls on his call list.

The Frisco Adventure Park Free Day returns on Thursday, Dec. 11. From 10 a.m. to noon, the Frisco Adventure Park Tubing Hill will offer 30 minutes of free tubing on a first come, first tubing basis for the first 200 people. Tubing begins at 10 a.m. with sessions going out every 15 minutes and the last free tubing session going out at 11:30 a.m. No reservations will be accepted for free tubing; walk-ups only. Participants must be at least 36 inches tall and able to ride in their own tube. The Frisco Nordic Center will offer free skiing and snowshoeing and free ski and snowshoe rentals from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. This is an exceptional opportunity to check out cross-country skiing and snowshoeing at the beautiful Frisco Nordic Center. Two Below Zero will offer free 30-minute horse-drawn scenic sleigh rides at 2:30 p.m. and 3 p.m. Availability is limited. Call (970) 453-1520 to make reservations.

Guests are invited to experience a cozy winter evening at the Frisco Historic Museum with an after-hours celebration on Friday, Dec. 12. This free event features wassail, cookies, stories and music in the Museum, which will be decked out for the holidays. Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, Dec. 13, at Backcountry Brewery benefits the Summit County Preschool. This is a sell-out every year. Reservations are required; call Summit County Preschool at (970) 668-5508, ext. 1.

ABOUT WASSAIL DAYS

Frisco’s Wassail Days was founded on the notion that throwing out the welcome mat during the winter holidays means that you offer visitors a special treat: wassail. Wassail is hot, spiced cider, and over the years, Frisco businesses have perfected this drink and have collectively served more than 5,000 free cups of wassail each year.

In 2014, more than 65 local businesses will serve their own special recipe wassail from throughout the week, and guests will have the opportunity to vote for their favorite wassail and fill up their “12 Sips of Wassail” card. Completed cards may be redeemed at the Frisco Information Center for a free 2014 commemorative Wassail Days mug.

The commemorative mug features several iconic Frisco buildings, including the Frisco Historic Museum Schoolhouse and the Moose Jaw.

Visit http://www.wassaildays.com for more information, to purchase tickets for the Soup Cup Challenge and to register for the Ugly Sweater Challenge. For more information about the town of Frisco, visit http://www.townoffrisco.com or contact the Frisco-Copper Information Center at (800) 424-1554.


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