This Friday, the Memorial Union will be home to all things winter. WinterFest will be held in the MU from 4 p.m. until 2 a.m. There will be a multitude of events, ranging from crafts to carriage rides.

Samantha Riesburg, senior and president of all things WinterFest, said that planning began in only mid-September for the event. Samantha joined the WinterFest team as a freshman, and has worked her way up ever since.

In the past, WinterFest has stuck with the same line-up of events. WinterFest has an expected attendance of over 5000 people, and with over 20 things to do, it makes sense as to why people would make WinterFest a must-do on their list.

“In the past, we haven’t done a whole lot of new things,” Riesburg said. “So, this year we’re trying to kind of mix it up a little and get more of a broad series of activities.” 

WinterFest has only a few activities that will force you to spend a little money, but otherwise a majority of the events are free of charge, making it easier to go to every activity you want.

New things to do include swing dancing lessons, and more availability for the carriage rides. The swing dancing club will be offering lessons in the Gallery of the MU from 7 to 10 p.m.

Carriage rides are nothing new to WinterFest, but the long lines inspired the exec team to rethink a few things. Instead of just one carriage, there will be two this year, following a shortened route in order to accommodate for more guests to enjoy it.

“It’ll be interesting to see what we’ve done with the obstacles we’ve had. The best part about it honestly is seeing it all come together,” Riesburg said.