The expanded Kids Area, presented by Bend Research, will include kid-pleasers such as snakes, science demonstrations from OMSI and much, much more! For kids, there's so many things to love about winter. Bend WinterFest offers the season's best with features such as ice sculptures, snowboarding, skiing and tasty treats.

The upcoming 2011 Onpoint Community Credit Union Bend WinterFest will offer more kid-centric activities than ever before at the newly-expanded OMSI Kids Area, sponsored by Bend Research. The Kids Area – which savvy parents realize will have as many features for them to enjoy as for the kids! – will feature a wide range of exhibits from Portland's award-winning Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI), including a three-dimensional wooden dinosaur puzzle that stands four feet high, a Van der Graff electricity generator, fifteen tables of hands-on puzzles and brain teasers, interactive demonstrations of scientific principles (think dry ice and Newton's Laws of Motion) by museum staff, as well as harmless snakes and other reptiles for handling. Bend Research, which has been developing new technologies in Central Oregon for more than 30 years, chose to present OMSI's participation to ensure that kids at Bend WinterFest can be as entertained and engaged by science as they are by winter activities.

"We're really excited about the opportunity of bringing OMSI to Central Oregon, because they do a fantastic job of exposing kids to science and getting them fired up about it," said Rod Ketner, Ph.D, Senior R&D Chemist of Bend Research. "We want to do all we can to inspire Central Oregon's future scientists."

Families will appreciate the myriad activities in the WinterFest Kids Area presented by Bend Research, which will include snow play opportunities for children of all ages. It will also be one of the best areas for viewing the event's popular ice carvings and snow sculptures. Register by January 15, 2011 to enter the snow sculpture contest individually or as a family or business team!