By Rose Picón, staff writer

It’s officially that time of the year again! The air is cold, the sky is gray, the wind is harsh, and snow will soon be everywhere. Yes, it’s time for another notorious winter in Syracuse. Although the winters can be harsh, we battle through them as a community and still manage to make them magical. This year, the Everson Museum of Art is doing its part to get the community excited for the season by hosting several winter-themed events called “Snow Days.”

It all started in 1984, when the Everson held a fundraiser called the Festival of Trees. Local businesses and organizations donated hundreds of decorated trees, which were sold to benefit the museum. The festival took place for the next 25 years at the museum, until it was moved to Shopping Town Mall in 2009. Sarah Massett, public relations director at the Everson, explains, “Since we were no longer hosting the Festival of Trees, we wanted to celebrate the winter holiday in another way and do something fun for the community.” The Everson’s staff brainstormed possible ideas until they came up with a fabulous, eco-friendly one: create a giant igloo out of empty milk jugs! Massett comments, “We’ve often used recycled material at our events, but this is the first time we’ve ever tried to create something new out of the materials!”

The igloo will be unveiled on Saturday, December 17, for the first of the Snow Days activities. It’ll be located at the Everson’s sculpture court, surrounded by twinkling lights, penguin cutouts for kids to stick their heads through and holiday music, transforming the court into a winter wonderland. Once the igloo is officially set up, Snow Days events commence!

On December 17, from 12-3pm, kids are invited to the Everson free-of-charge to create holiday cards through “Arctic Art Making.” On Sunday, December 18, at 2pm, children can come to the Everson dressed up as elves to watch Elf and warm up with hot chocolate. At the end of the day, attendees vote who has the best elf costume, and the winner gets a membership to the Everson and a gift basket of art supplies!

Adults: don’t worry, the Everson hasn’t forgotten about you! On Thursday, December 22, from 5-7pm, the Everson will offer a Solstice Celebration, with ice wine tastings, hors d’oeuvres, jazz music and a cash bar, all for $15. Tickets also include a pass to the Everson’s current exhibition, From Here to There: Alec Soth’s America. The exhibit features the photography of Alec Soth and highlights 15 years of work he assembled from exploring the U.S. This includes work from his two best known series, Sleeping by the Mississippi and NIAGARA. “It’ll be a lot of fun,” Massett adds. “It’s a great opportunity to get out of the house and into the holiday spirit through music, wine and incredible photography.”

Syracuse winters definitely have a silver lining, thanks to the fun events at the Everson, located at 401 Harrison Street, just steps off the Connective Corridor bus! Get in the holiday mood by heading there from December 17 until January 2 for Snow Days. Also, to help make the igloo as large and spectacular as possible, make sure to donate your empty milk jugs. At least 1,000 are needed to create the igloo, and the more they receive, the bigger it will be! For more information about Snow Days, check out the museum’s website.