Lowell WinterFest Launches City’s 200th Birthday Celebration

Lowell kicked off its bicentennial celebration in grand form with WinterFest. The festival, held on Saturday, Feb. 28, featured food trucks, fire art, ice sculptures, live music, and community connections, in coordination with the city's 200th birthday.

Crowds descended on Merrimack, Middle, and Palmer streets in the Mill City for WinterFest. The sunshine and milder temperatures helped boost the moods of attendees who gathered to mark Lowell's bicentennial.

Attendees witnessed celebrity chef Bartolo “Buddy” Valastro, host of the TV show Cake Boss, unveiling the city's official bicentennial birthday cake. Valastro spent approximately three days designing the cake.

Valastro's towering confectionery creation was topped with a detailed replica of Lowell City Hall, which he described as the centerpiece of an “iconic city.” Before the cake unveiling, Valastro also judged a cooking event featuring several local bakeries. Sugar Sparks Bakery, an emerging Lowell business, took the honors with a coconut cupcake with guava filling — commemorating Hertello's Hispanic heritage — and a buttercream frosting.

State Rep. Vanna Howard, a Lowell resident, spoke to The (Lowell) Sun about the camaraderie of the community coming together over soups, sweets, and shrugging off the winter doldrums.

“A perfect way to celebrate 200 years of Lowell history,” she said.