Each winter, weather permitting, hockey enthusiasts from across New England and beyond flock to Concord for the city ’s annual 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championships in White Park. There, they find hockey rinks neatly segmented on the ice where players of all ages and skills compete in a range of divisions. The three-day event will also become home to hundreds of hockey fans, who come for the camaraderie, the food and the fireworks. They’ll also gather in the heated tents and around the bonfire. The event, held Jan. 28-30 is part of a packed Winter Fest weekend
throughout Concord. When you’re not watching a game, head downtown to witness an ice sculpture competition.

Players compete on the White Park pond during last year’s 1883 Black Ice Pond Hockey Championships. St. Paul’s in
Concord is known as having been the site of the first organized hockey game in the United States in 1883.

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