Free Winterlochen returns to Interlochen Feb. 21 with family activities, mural-making

Families filled Corson Auditorium and walked campus paths as Winterlochen returned to the Interlochen Center for the Arts main campus on Saturday, Feb. 21, offering free hands-on art and winter activities across the Interlochen grounds. The day culminated in a campus-wide parade at 1:30 p.m. led by the Traverse City West Senior High School drum corp and a free kids performance, Magic by Scott Green, staged at Corson Auditorium at 2:00 p.m.

Interlochen billed the event as a family-friendly open house with both indoor and outdoor options. Community listings and calendars highlighted mural making, face painting, sledding and s’mores, toddler playtime with dancing, singing and games, and a make-your-own T-shirt project; Traverse Children’s House described Winterlochen as “designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and movement.” Northern Express and LeelanauTicker specifically cited outdoor winter fun and musical, theatrical and visual-arts stations staffed by Interlochen students, faculty and staff.

Interlochen’s official schedule placed concentrated programming in the late morning and early afternoon: Kids Conduct ran 11:00–11:20 a.m. in Music Center 1008, Swing Dance ran 11:00–11:30 a.m. in Music Center 1010 with music provided by the Interlochen Jazz Orchestra, and Live Karaoke ran 11:00–11:40 a.m. in Dendrinos Chapel (recommended ages 5 and up). Frankenprint, an interactive printmaking activity using the exquisite corpse drawing game, was set for 12:00–1:00 p.m. in the Dow Center for Visual Arts, followed by a Percussion Petting Zoo 12:40–1:30 p.m. in Music Center 1010. Interlochen directed families to join the Winterlochen Parade at 1:30 p.m. around campus that would lead to Corson Auditorium, then listed the Free Kids Performance: Magic by Scott Green from 2:00–2:45 p.m. Interlochen’s event page advised, “We recommend arriving at 11 a.m. to allow your child the opportunity to experience as many activities as possible.”

Local media and community calendars described a broader open-house window than Interlochen’s program block. TV station WPBN/UpNorthLive and an original community summary stated the event ran roughly 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., while Interlochen’s page shows the primary program block as 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. with the 2 p.m. magic show following. Organizers and media did not provide a clear explanation for the different end times; patrons seeking the most current schedule and activity locations should consult Interlochen’s official Winterlochen page for updates. Interlochen’s site also noted a practical tip for visitors: “Mobile users may need to view horizontally to see all information.”

Photographers and editors sourcing visuals can find event galleries posted by WPBN with filenames such as 2024_25_Winterlochen_Sledding_Selects_022225-9.jpg, 2020_Winterlochen_126.jpg and 2015-15 Winterlochen 190.JPG. Community bulletins that promoted the event also flagged a related Corson Auditorium engagement the following day — the Be Like Blippi Tour on Feb. 22 at 2:00 p.m., with tickets starting at $25 — information included on the Traverse Children’s House flyer.

Winterlochen returned as a no-cost campus highlight drawing multigenerational participation; questions about specific activity locations, supply limits for hands-on projects, parking or seating for the Scott Green show should be directed to Interlochen’s event page ahead of future editions.