Creemore Classic celebrates hockey

The area’s young hockey players will face off at the Creemore Winter Classic Sunday.

The event takes place at the outdoor rink at Station on the Green, beginning at 1 p.m.

Everyone is invited to don their favourite hockey sweater and bring their skates to take part in an event modeled after the popular NHL game played outdoors annually.

Curiosity House Books is organizing the event around a visit from Stephen Smith, author of Puckstruck: Distracted, Delighted and Distressed by Canada’s Hockey Obsession, who will be visiting the bookstore on Saturday and attending the Sunday event.

Smith will be signing books at the bookstore from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and will be reading from Puckstruck on Sunday. The book was long-listed for the 2015 RBC Taylor Prize.

The winner of the bookstore’s hockey sweater contest will be announced at the event and will be invited to drop the puck for a game between Creemore Minor Hockey players aged 3-5.

“The Classic is really about us as a community coming together to celebrate our favourite national sport, whether as a fan or a player. We have great hockey teams and great hockey families and it’s a good opportunity to have the community engage with the sport for those of us who aren’t directly involved with hockey and to take it outside the arena,” said Curiosity House Books owner Rina Barone.

“We’re hoping it will take and that we can continue the tradition each year adding on to it so more players and teams can be involved.”

Affairs Bakery will be providing free hot chocolate for children and selling hot beverages and treats.