BOSTON, Massachusetts ??” On Saturday, February 11, Boston Common will host a world of winter fun as the Boston Parks and Recreation Department, Vermont Ski Areas, and presenting sponsor Toyota Motor Company bring the first Boston Winter Festival to America’s oldest public park from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is themed as a salute to the US Ski Team and the 2006 Winter Olympic Games commencing the same day in Torino, Italy.

Manmade snow, provided by a consortium of snowmakers from Vermont ski resorts, will cover six acres at the corner of Boston Common bordered by Beacon and Charles Streets. Snowmaking will take place in the days preceding the Festival as long as temperatures remain below freezing.

Residents and visitors of all ages will be able to enjoy a variety of winter sports presented free of charge. Professional instruction and equipment will be provided for snowshoeing and cross-country skiing with over 300 pairs of skis on loan. Pros from the Tubbs snowshoe company will provide equipment and instruction to experience the fast-growing winter sport of snowshoeing.

In addition, demonstrations of freestyle skiing and snowboarding will be offered on a terrain park provided by Okemo Resort. A big-screen TV will broadcast Winter Olympic Games coverage from Torino.

There will also be a Vermont sugarhouse dispensing Vermont maple products. A hospitality tent sponsored by the Vermont Department of Tourism and Marketing will feature other Vermont specialty food products including Cabot Cheese, Northeast Kingdom Mustard, Westminster crackers, Nutty Steph’s granola parfaits and Lake Champlain Chocolates. Representatives of Vermont ski resorts including Bolton Valley, Stowe Mountain Resort, Sugarbush Resort, Killington, Mount Snow, Stratton, Smugglers’ Notch, Burke, Jay Peak, and Okemo will be available to answer questions about Vermont winter vacations.

A major snow sculpture contest sponsored by Infinity Broadcasting will be open to the public. Individual and team entries will be judged on creativity, size, detail and overall composition. Mounds of snow, water, buckets, and shovels will be provided to all participants. A grand prize will be awarded to the overall winner as well as prizes in specific categories.

Supporting sponsors of the Boston Winter Festival, presented by Toyota, include Infinity Broadcasting Stations, the Vermont Ski Areas Association, and various ski product suppliers. For further information, please call the Boston Parks Department at (617) 635-4505.