Outdoor Recreation is putting together its first Sleigh Ride and Dinner event of the season, and whether it snows or not, it’s bound to be a memorable experience.
The one-horse sleigh ride and dinner is Tuesday, Jan. 27 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m.
This event is made possible through the university’s partnership with Dry Ridge Outfitters, based out of Harriman State Park in Island Park. Morris Christensen, outdoor activities advisor for Outdoor Recreation, says Dry Ridge Outfitters has been a longtime partner.
“Really, it was a few years back that they reached out to us and said, ‘Hey, we can do wagon rides in the wintertime or sleigh rides in the wintertime, if you’d like.’ And we thought, ‘Sure,’ because winter really is one of our harder times to find things to do. There’s a lot to do, but we don’t have as many things to do as we do in the summertime,” Christensen says.
Christensen says Outdoor Activities offers this event so students have something new to do this season.
“We want students out participating. We want them out recreating. We feel strongly, in our area here, that we want students to be a part of wholesome recreation, and we feel that this is part of that, so we want them to be involved,” Christensen says.
Christensen says the university doesn’t want students feeling lonely in their apartments.
“We want them outside with other students, associating with them, having a good time, experiencing new things. And we really hope that these activities—all of them, right—are things they’ll adopt into their own lives, personally, now and in their families in the future,” said Christensen.
Christensen says Outdoor Activities provides opportunities for students to try something they’ve never experienced before.
“We’re giving them their first experience in all of the things that we provide, whether it be this sleigh ride or whether it be cross country skiing or snowshoeing, or in the summertime, our water activities or biking or whatever it may be, right? We’re providing that opportunity for most people for their very first time. And so, we want it to be a positive experience,” Christensen says.
Even though there has been a lack of snow this winter season so far, the event will still take place. If there isn’t snow by the time the activity comes around, the sleigh will be replaced by a horse-drawn wagon. The destination and dinner will remain the same.
Tuesday will make the first of six sleigh ride events this semester, so if you don’t make it this time, keep an eye out for the next one.
Christensen has a message for those considering attending the event.
“I would invite everybody to come out and try something different and get to know people. And if you like it, hopefully those friends that you meet or those people you meet will become a new circle of friends where, you know, you have people you can call up and say, ‘Hey, let’s go out and go skiing or snowshoeing or whatever it is, you know, or sledding or, you know, anything,” Christensen says.
For more information you can find the Sleigh Ride and Dinner event on the calendar on myBYUI. To find tickets for the event you can go to the ticket office in person or online.