COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — The 2026 Olympic Winter Games are set to kick off on Friday with the opening ceremony in Milan-Cortina.
As athletes will take the center stage in the Parade of Nations on Friday. Saturday in Olympic City USA, a day-long event will take place for free to get you into the Olympic spirit.
In partnership with Colorado Sports Corps, the United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee will be hosting Winter Fest.
The family-friendly event will have athlete meet-and-greets, food trucks, sport demos, live music, and of course a games watch party. While the weather looks like it will be fine for Saturday's event, this is a snow-or-shine event, so plan to dress accordingly.
This year, people will have the opportunity to meet with Olympic champion Nastia Liukin and four-time Paralympian Danelle Umstead. Liukin a Olympic veteran, has five medals in gymnastics from the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. Umstead, who is blind will be the keynote speaker and is a four-time Paralympian and three-time Paralympic bronze medalist, with four World Championship medals and more than 50 World Cup podium finishes.
Beginning Saturday at 10:00 a.m., activities will run to 3:00 p.m. You can view a full breakdown of the schedule below.
10:00 AM: Downtown Winter Fest Begins and the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Museum Opens. Free admission for all.
10:00 – 10:45 AM: VIP Exclusive Athlete Meet & Greet
10:00 – 10:45 AM: Iyanla Band Act #1 on Stage
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Free Horse Carriage Rides and Ninja Obstacle Course in Parking Lot
10:00 AM – 3:00 PM: Free S’mores at Firepits in Intersection
10:45 – 11:00 AM: Torch Relay & Cauldron Lighting on the Park Union Bridge & Museum Terrace
11:00 AM – 12:00 PM: Athlete Meet & Greet in the Chapman Event Space
11:00 AM – 2:00 PM: Homestead Circus Performance in Intersection
12:45 – 1:00 PM: Athlete Interview on Stage
1:00 – 3:00 PM: Athlete Meet & Greet in Chapman Event Space
2:00 – 3:00 PM: Iyanla Band Act #2 on Stage
3:00 PM: Downtown Winter Fest Concludes
4:00 PM: Last Museum Entry
The museum will remain open until 5:00 PM.
News5 is a proud sponsor of Winter Fest, and members of the News5 team will be there all day! Stop by our booth, grab a photo from the event, and learn a little more about the history of broadcasting the Olympics inside the museum.
Learn more about the USOPM events and Winter Fest here.
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