Baldwin-Whitehall Offers Winter Fun, Indoors and Out

Winter doesn’t have dog days, but if it did, these would be them.

February tends to be a time when people count the days until spring, but the Baldwin-Whitehall area offers a number of activities to brighten even the coldest days on the calendar.

Although the nearby Township of South Park is home to some of the best ice skating and sled-riding in the Pittsburgh region, Baldwin-Whitehall isn’t entirely left out in the cold when it comes to opportunities for winter sports, according to Kelly Joyce, a member of the Whitehall Recreation Board.

“Snyder Park, right across the street from our , can provide some fun sledding for the little tykes, as they have a smaller hill,” Joyce said. “All of the parks in Whitehall have very large, flat areas that can be used for experimenting with cross-country skiing for good exercise or the ultimate snowball-battle arenas for the kids.”

For those who need a pick-me-up from all of the chilly air, the Whitehall Recreation Board is hosting its  on Feb. 19, a dinner and comedy show at featuring veteran comedians Mike Eagan and Chuck Krieger and hosted by Western Pennsylvania’s own David Kaye. In fact, this writer will soon be an audience member at that event on behalf of the Baldwin-Whitehall Patch.

Tickets for the Comedy Cure are $40 (dinner and show) and $25 (show only).

The indoor fun continues at the , where a group of crafting enthusiasts get together for Cultured Purls every other Tuesday.

“Any adult that knits, crochets or cross-stitches, they’re welcome to come,” Denise Ignasky, adult program coordinator for the library, said. The next knitting circle takes place on Feb. 15 and doesn’t require any prior registration.

Just because the ground is cold doesn’t mean that it isn’t fertile. The Whitehall library is also hosting a landscaping design course on Feb. 22 taught by Evan Evanovich, owner of The Landscape Center by Evanovich in nearby Bethel Park. As many as 75 people typically show up to get tips, so registration is required. The event is free.

Cold weather doesn’t stop people from eating cold treats, according to Maddy Fichter, who started working at on Route 51 about 25 years ago.

“We’re pretty steady,” Fichter said.

The reason for year-round customers? Must be the product. “We make all our own ice cream.”

Sugar & Spice is family-owned and straight out of the past: checkerboard floors, swivel seats, shelves of tchotchkes, bowls of candy and a mannequin mascot named Roc.

An ice-cream cone might be the perfect mobile treat for summer, but in the winter, customers prefer staying inside where it’s warm. That means sundaes and old-fashioned ice-cream floats. The shop offers classics, like a root-beer float, and new treats, like the Dreamsicle float with orange sherbet, seltzer and vanilla ice cream.

After eating a big bowl of ice cream, you might decide to hit the gym.

“January through April is all health clubs’ and gyms’ prime season,” Roger Duchon, who has owned  on Route 51 for 11 years, said. “For their new year’s resolutions, people want to get healthy and get fit.”

Duchon is certainly fit, looking like a classic high-school gym coach in his blank gray sweatshirt and navy track pants, but his sleek glasses hint at another side of his professional training: a nutritionist.

In addition to dozens of traditional fitness equipment, Champion Fitness is home to a chiropractic facility, a playroom for kids and a vitamin and supplement store.

“I’m one of the only health centers in the area that supplies fitness and nutrition,” Duchon said.

For a workout without the work,  on Streets Run Road is offering two weeks of unlimited tanning for $25. It’s ideal for people who “don’t want to tan too long; they just want to get a tan for their vacation,” Owner Kevin Rohm said.

Winter customers tend to be getting ready for big events, like dances, weddings and cruises, but some customers just want some warm rays.

“We get people that come in that just have wintertime depression,” Rohm said.“They just need the Vitamin D.”

For those who want the tan without the warmth, Suntan Shack offers a UV-free spray tan booth, a giant machine with a glass door to ease any claustrophobia.

If all that doesn’t do it, there’s some comfort in knowing that warmer temperatures are on the horizon through the end of February, and the first day of spring is only about five weeks away (March 20).