Winter on the Green Begins This Weekend

Ice sculptures, a carnival and chili highlight this year's annual series on Breidert Green.

Frankfort's annual Winter on the Green series might be the best indicator that seasons have changed this year, because, given the mild temperatures and sunny days lately, you couldn't tell from the weather. All events are from 1 to 3 p.m. Sundays at Breidert Green. Here's a look at what's on tap in 2012: What to expect: Watch an ice sculpture demonstration, ride a free heated trolley through downtown or check out the dogs from the Illinois Alaskan Malamute Rescue Association. WATCH: Sculptor Carves Ice Into Art at Winter on the Green (VIDEO) What to expect: Along with games and balloon animals, DJ Don Gray and Rainbow the Clown also will be on hand. What to expect: Visitors can compete in sled races, 3-on-3 hockey and punt and pass …

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VIDEO: Warm Weather Caps Off Winter on the Green Season

Frankfort's annual event series ends with fondue, turkey bowling and sunny skies for its Valentine's Weekend festivities.

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VIDEO: Chili Cook-Off Packs the Green

Crowds braved the cold winds for a taste of hot chili at Winter on the Green on Sunday.

Smiling like a satisfied customer, Frankfort Square resident Andy Smerz said Sunday he's attended almost every Winter on the Green Chili Cook-Off. This year, he brought his friend and neighbor, Jim Cook, although he was quick to point out that Cook was tasting, not cooking. Both men were torn between entry Nos. 1 and 7 for the Crowd Pleaser Award. "No. 7 had everything," Smerz said. "Chunks of meat, a little kick under the tongue. No. 1 was equally outstanding!" The hot grub was in sharp contrast to the cold, raw winds and occasional snow flurries Sunday at the Winter on the Green Chili Cook-Off. But the weather didn't deter crowds; all 410 taste-tester bags were distributed by 2:15 p.m., a little more than an hour after the event began. "…

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Winter on the Green Heats Up with Chili Cook-Off

Visitors can taste test and pick their favorite homemade chili at this 16th annual event.

The contestant who’s whipping up Better Than My Sister’s Chili for Sunday's 16th annual Winter on the Green Chili Cook-Off better hope her sister’s not among the mystery judges.  “It’s really popular, and we did fill all 20 of our spots,” said Frankfort Chamber of Commerce executive director Karen Blake. “Some of the past participants are returning, but not last year’s crowd-selected winner.” Contestants’ entries will be judged by six criteria: aroma, bite, color, consistency, originality and taste, with judges handing out first, second and third place prizes. Visitors can get in on the judging, too, tasting as many chilis as they wish and voting for one Crowd Pleaser. Categories include mild, medium and hot, and chilis can either be meat-…

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VIDEO: Diehard Fans Attend Winter Sports on the Green

While another sporting even was going on, a small crowd enjoyed unlimited fun at this week's Winter on the Green.

Maybe Jay Cutler should have been in Frankfort brushing up on his passing with 5-year-old Jared Velez. Velez, who braved the cold to come out for Winter Sports at Winter on the Green, had volunteer Ryan Murphy all to himself. And he couldn’t have been happier. Velez, a football star in the making, punted and passed to his heart’s content for an hour in Sunday’s cold weather. Thanks to the low temperatures and the Bears-Packers playoff game, turnout for this week’s Winter on the Green event was low, so low that chairwoman and Frankfort Lions Club member Denise Lenz packed it up an hour early to allow her volunteers the chance to get home to see the big game. But the event wasn’t a total loss. The families who came out enjoyed playing snow …

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The Sporting Life: Lions Club Adds New Event to Winter Series

Winter sports is the theme this week at the Winter on the Green series.

She might be the new kid on the block, but Frankfort Lion Denise Lenz knows how to plan an event. After years spent serving in the Frankfort Area Jaycees, Lenz officially “graduated” out of that club when she turned 41 (the age for membership is limited to 18-40). However, she soon got involved with the Frankfort Lions Club, chairing their summer Rib Cook- Off and now planning their first-ever Winter on the Green Winter Sports event. “I was going to do the Winter Olympics, but I wasn’t sure what sports we could actually duplicate. The Frankfort Park District was already using the Winter Carnival theme, so I just kind of combined the two,” Lenz said. Participants will be able to challenge one another to 3-on-3 street hockey, a Kick and Pass…

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Facebook Exclusives: Check Out Videos From Winter on the Green

Area residents explain why they skipped the Bears game to enjoy an afternoon outside. Plus, see what you missed at Breidert Green.

As shocking as it sounds, not everyone in the Chicago area Sunday was glued to a TV set, watching the Chicago Bears make short work of the outmatched Seattle Seahawks in the NFC divisional playoffs. It sounds far-fetched, but it's true. That's why we asked area residents who ventured out to Frankfort's Winter on the Green event, which ran during the same time as the game, why they chose spending an afternoon outside at a winter carnival over cheering on the Monsters of the Midway. Go to the Frankfort Patch Facebook page to find our video interviews with residents, as well as look at what went down at the Winter on the Green: Winter Carnival event.

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VIDEO: Sculptor Carves Ice Into Art at Winter on the Green

Watch the sculpture take form as the artist explains how he does it.

Icy art and the barks of malamutes filled Breidert Green in downtown Frankfort on Sunday as part of the village's Winter on the Green kick off.  The event series, which runs every Sunday for six weeks, features different free activities for residents to enjoy. Sunday's event showcased custom-made ice sculptures across the city, dog-pulled sled rides by the Illinois Alaskan Malamute Rescue Association and trolley tours of the downtown. Al Ramirez, an ice sculptor from Nadeau's Ice Sculptures, performed a live ice carving for spectators. Check out the video to watch him work and hear about his process.

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Weekly Wrapup

What Made Headlines From Jan. 2-8

Ice sculptors discussed their craft before today's Winter on the Green event. Plus, we talked with the women behind a local yarn store and the president of the park district.

"We have roughly 20 (ice sculptures), weighing 300-pounds each. That’s a lot of ice going down to Frankfort."" --Jim Nadeau, owner of Nadeau's Ice Sculptures, talking about the pieces his company is providing for the kick off of Frankfort's Winter on the Green season Jan. 9. New speed limit on I-355 between I-55 and I-80, which was instituted by the Illinois Tollway. The New Lenox couple celebrated the new year with the birth of Dolly Mae, the couple's first child and the first baby of 2011 at Provena St. Joseph Medical Center. After winning the Medieval Classic and six of its past seven games, the Griffins came out flat against Homewood-Flossmoor, losing 65-47 to the Vikings. 

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