In spring-like weather, hundreds celebrate Quincy's Winterfest on Presidents Day

QUINCY – This year's Presidents Day Winterfest was decidedly not the cold, dreary day the name suggests.

Instead, temperature crept into the low 60s as hundreds of attendees filtered through Quincy's Hancock-Adams Common on Monday afternoon. Under sunny skies and with comfortable breeze, young children turned cartwheels and played field games like cornhole on the grass while parents and older relatives kept track off the different shows and attractions on offer.

Joanne MacNeil stood inside city hall with a multi-generational entourage, waiting for a bird and reptile show to begin. A Quincy resident, she invited her sister, nieces, nephews and their children, who came from as far as Norton and Reading, to the Presidents Day event.

"It's spectacular," MacNeil said. "My niece Jen asked if there's something we could do for school vacation, and I thought of Winterfest in Quincy Center."

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Jack, age 10, said he was most looking forward to the birds of prey exhibition and the fire show.

"I don't think the ice sculptures will work, though," Jack said, referring to the unseasonable warmth. Fortunately, they held up.

Two ice sculptures were unveiled at 2 p.m. "Ice Man Craig" said they represented the second and sixth President of the United States, John Adams and John Quincy Adams. As crowds gathered to snap pictures with the frozen commanders in chief, two artists with power tools chiseled away at a block of ice, gradually revealing a large polar bear holding aloft the Winterfest logo.

Christine Koch, wife of Mayor Thomas Koch, watched the ice sculpture demonstration with her grand-nephew Callahan, age 6.

Koch said that Callahan loves to read the newspaper. He told her about the festival, and since then they've been dying to go. She added that the city departments do great work putting the event together.

"It's perfect for school vacation," Koch said. "Not everybody can afford to go away. Here, you can have a fun stay-cation. And it's free."

Across the plaza, "Jolting Jonathan" Breindel began his mad science show, which explained and demonstrated the properties of dry ice. Boys and girls sat cross-legged on the grass as Breindel picked up a chip of dry ice with heavy gloves and placed it into a beaker of "dihydrogen monoxide," i.e. water.

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A milky smoke billowed out from the beaker and fell on the crowd. Breindel then corked the vessel, letting the carbon dioxide gas build up until it popped the cork up into the air.

"It just burped," Breindel said, explaining that humans, too, burp carbon dioxide. "You all were just breathing in a burp, minus the nasty stomach acids."

Breindel said he travels all over southern Massachusetts for assemblies and workshops for kids.

"I was a kid for a long time growing up," he joked. "Kids are smart. I never talk down to them. I want my show to be exciting for adults too. Whether you're 4 or 80, there's something for everyone."

Reach Peter Blandino at pblandino@patriotledger.com.

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This article originally appeared on The Patriot Ledger: Quincy families celebrate Presidents Day at Winterfest downtown