Winterfest Returns to Fifth Third Field

In 2014, the ECHL and the Toledo Walleye made history when they took cues from their major league counterparts and hosted hockey games outdoors as part of the inaugural Winterfest. History repeated itself, and this past holiday season, they did it again.

Fifth Third Field, home of the Toledo Mud Hens, normally boasts perfectly groomed turf, the sound of bat-cracking home runs and a field of elite athletes sporting ball caps. But during Winterfest, that pristine infield was transformed into a regulation sized ice rink, complete with boards and glass, the swish of skates and a team of masked men wielding hockey sticks.

Sponsored by ProMedica, Winterfest included a variety of events including:

  • Two marquee Toledo Walleye games including a game on New Year's Eve
  • The fifth Toledo Hockey Hall of Fame class induction ceremony
  • Hockey history as Toledo legends and Red Wings alumni faced off in the Toledo Hockey Alumni Game
  • Adrian College returned to the ice for back-to-back Division III hockey games
  • The Toledo Walleye and Sylvania TAM-O Shanter partnered for the sixth annual Walleye Winterfest Youth Hockey Tournament
  • Fans had a variety of opportunities to skate under the stars on the Marathon Outdoor Rink

The Winterfest fun extended beyond Fifth Third Field at the Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo, Disney on Ice at the Huntington Center, "It’s A Wonderful Life" showing at the Valentine Theatre and family movies at the Toledo Library.

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