DADE CITY, Fla. — Delighted screams can be heard as children and adults alike make their way down the hills of Snowcat Ridge's snowy slopes in Dade City.
Florida's only outdoor Alpine snow park goes against everything the state is known for by most. Winston McDaniel, the park's marketing manager, described it as a "crazy idea in the middle of Florida."
"So what we're bringing here is like the ultimate form of escapism," McDaniel said. "So you know you when you grew up in Florida, especially as a kid like you don't really experience snow and winter sports and that kind of Alpine feel, if you will."
Snowcat Ridge's Crystal Ribbon feature, which includes a 16,000-square-foot ice skating ribbon, made its return this year, according to the park's website. Attendees can also rent private igloos at the park's Eskimo Outpost, go snow tubing on the Snowy Slopes and enjoy a bit to eat.
"Normally you would have to go to another state or another country to experience that," McDaniel said. "But here we've kind of built that experience in a very small space here in Florida. So you just have to drive a few hours, maybe instead of flying on to a whole different place."
Danny Lorentz, a Snowcat Ridge attendee, said, "If you've ever been in a snowy environment where you can just sled right down the main street. It's a delight and a great experience. But this is a lot of fun too because you can get sunburned while you get frostbite."
The park will remain open until Feb. 26. To view more of Snowcat Ridge's features this year, click here.
Ticket prices range from $26.95 to $42.95 depending on the day people choose to go.