Alaska Life

Photos: Rainy weather, puddles make for fun at Westchester Lagoon

By Emily Mesner
Updated: January 23, 2022 Published: January 23, 2022

Molly Legg and Aidan Duran hold hands while they ice skate around Westchester Lagoon in Anchorage on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Unseasonably warm temperatures caused on onslaught of rain and melting snow and ice at Westchester Lagoon Saturday during Anchorage Parks and Recreation’s Family Skate event.

The inclement weather didn’t stop people from slipping and sliding across the lagoon, although soggy snow pants and gloves abounded. Growing puddles made the perfect playscape as children splashed the water with their hockey sticks and skates.

The annual free event began Jan. 8 and will continue every Saturday from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. through Feb. 26. In addition to music and fire pits, the event features a plastic seal race with prizes, hot beverages and food trucks. Free helmets are available to use and take home.

Related: Chinook winds turn up heat across Southcentral Alaska

Ernie Eaton, 6, holds onto his mom, Jamie Eaton, to steady himself while she puts her ice skates on before they head onto Westchester Lagoon Saturday. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Charo Montano, left, Michelle Montano, center, and Alex Montano, right, stand by a fire to keep warm during the Family Skate event. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Erin Lawrence pushes Hadley Lawrence, 7, as they compete in the plastic seal race. The pair came in third place and won pool passes and hats. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

A dog holds a hockey puck in its mouth while playing with its owner. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Stephanie Eastman helps her daughter, Della Eastman, 2, put on ice skates before they go skating. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Ari Steyaert celebrates his sixth birthday with his mom, Tanya Steyaert, as they pass a hockey puck back and forth through puddles. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

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Maria and Pedro Oronia ice skate on Westchester Lagoon with their children Natalia, Davian and Alessandra during an Anchorage Parks and Recreation Family Skate event on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022. (Emily Mesner / ADN)

Emily Mesner

Emily Mesner is a multimedia journalist for the Anchorage Daily News. She previously worked for the National Park Service at Denali National Park and Preserve and the Western Arctic National Parklands in Kotzebue, at the Cordova Times and at the Jackson Citizen Patriot in Jackson, Michigan.

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