By MaryHelen Swanson

Bundle up and put on the scarf, this is the weekend the North Branch Area Chamber is hosting the 7th Annual Winter Fest. And winter it will be.

Scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 10 and 11, it all begins today with the medallion hunt sponsored by the First National Bank and Investment Centers of America, Inc.

From now until found, clues will be posted daily by 10 a.m. on www.NorthBranchChamber.com and at these button sale sites: First National Bank, Investment Centers of America, Inc., Cool Beanz Coffee & Tan, Landmark Personnel, Nelson's Market, North Branch Dairy Queen, Northern Tropics Hot Tubs & Pools, Inc., O Fudge Deli, Inc., Peterson's Country Mill, The Post Review, Post-Haste Office Service Center and the Chamber office. Buttons are on sale through Feb. 9.

With a registered button the medallion is worth $500 (without a button worth half the value), plus you can get many discounts at participating businesses. The button design is by Shari Schommer Design Studio.

No sleeping in this Saturday because you'll want to join in or watch all the planned activities including the Vintage Snowmobile Ride & Expo starting at 10 a.m.

If you can get your classic sled cranked up, take a ride south on the Sunrise Prairie Trail to Stacy. Then head back to Central Park in North Branch to display it for the old sled enthusiasts. You might possibly even win a trophy.

While at the park, enjoy the Chili Show Down where you can help choose the winner by sampling all entries starting at 11 a.m. And you'll keep warm, too.

Get registered now to participate in the Snow Sculpting Contest. This is an amateur competition starting at 11 a.m.

And don't miss the ice sculpting demonstration in Central Park. Sculptures will be on display as weather permits. Throughout the day professional ice sculptors, coming right from the St. Paul Winter Carnival contest, make extraordinary creations from giant blocks of ice for a number of local sponsors. Come on back to the park Saturday night and see these beautiful creations lit up with colorful lighting.

Be sure to take a nostalgic ride through the streets of North Branch at the Horse Drawn Carriage Ride starting at 11 a.m. Bring your skates and join "Frosty the Snowman" at the municipal rink.  The Family Ice Skate with "Frosty" begins at 1 p.m. with prizes, refreshments and pictures with Frosty.

In addition to these "cool" activities in the park, Abundant Life Church is hosting its annual Day Spa. From 10 a.m. -- 2 p.m., ladies (18 years and up) can pamper themselves and visit with a beauty consultant.   

On Sunday, Feb. 11, start your day off with an omelet at the S.A.L. (Sons of the American Legion) Omelet Breakfast held at the American Legion from 8 a.m. -- noon. As the fun continues Sunday, take a break in Stacy's Central Park with "S'more Fun" Sliding with Frosty starting at 1 p.m. Be sure to bring your own sled and enjoy treats with "Frosty."