As the cold and snow begin to tumble in with the winter season, Columbia is breaking out its seasonal fun to keep away the winter blues.

One of Columbia’s most well known activities during the winter holidays is the Symphony of Lights. It is an annual show full of beautiful Christmas lights held every year by the Howard County General Hospital.

Senior Denisse Padilla exclaimed, “The Symphony of Lights has been an ongoing family tradition. My family and I go every year, and it’s one of my favorite things about winter!” She added, “I have always loved Christmas lights, but I never liked having to face the winter’s cold to see them; but with the Symphony of Lights you get to drive through. It’s a life saver.”

The Symphony of Lights is a lot more than just a light show, it is a fundraiser for the Howard County General Hospital. All the proceeds go to the hospital to fund research for cures.

Just when you thought the winter fun could not get any better, Columbia adds onto it with an outdoor skating rink. From the beginning of December until the beginning of January, Merriweather constructs an outdoor skating rink–almost like the infamous Rockafeller ice skating rink–but a lot closer to home.

Winter may not be everyone’s favorite season, but Senior Sajal Patel proudly says, “Columbia does a great job with making winter enjoyable! The outdoor skating rink is my favorite part about winter. I get to enjoy the cold weather while skating, and it’s not something I can do all year.”

Another seasonal favorite one cannot miss out on, that is not just happening in Columbia, is Starbucks’ seasonal drinks.

Every year the arrival for the red cups draws a bigger and bigger crowd. Sophomore Emily Diaz says, “I don’t consider it to be winter if Starbucks doesn’t have their holiday drinks.” Starbucks’ winter menu includes holiday favorites like eggnog, gingerbread, and peppermint in their holiday coffees–they’re essentially putting Christmas in a cup.

“This year they [Starbucks] really went all out…instead of their usual red cups, each cup has an original Christmas drawing on it. It really takes ‘festive’ to a new level,” Diaz chuckles.

Winter may be associated with freezing cold weather and snow, but that doesn’t mean it cannot be enjoyable. Columbia, Maryland puts a fun spin on winter, making sure the town never feels like there is a lack of something to do.