GENOA – All the activities at the 15th annual Winterfest at Russell Woods Forest Preserve near Genoa were the right price for Christine Egel: free.

“We had a lot of fun,” Egel, of DeKalb, said. “We took our daughter on the wagon ride – which she loved – made some crafts and learned a lot. It made for a great afternoon, and it was free. You can’t beat that.”

The annual festival Saturday featured lessons from a professional wood carver, a Native American tracking technique expert and University of Illinois Extension educator Peggy Doty. She has organized the event for 13 years.