Steelstacks parking requires a short walk from a free lot to the ArtsQuest Center. That's usually part of the fun. That fun became a challenge in the bone-chilling cold of Peeps Fest 2013, when snow and winds conspired to interrupt any merriment. But even Mother Nature should know that it's next to impossible to keep kids from having a blast.

If their smiles are any indication, the fifth annual Peeps Fest was a roaring success. It was easy on the wallet, too, as most of the events were free.

Here's how it worked.

Parents and kids would go outside for free stuff until the first signs of frostbite began to appear. Then they'd crowd into the PBS studio, Event Center, and Visitor Center to warm up and get more free stuff.

You'd be shocked at the number of 3-year-olds who sat quietly through a very dry Bethlehem Steel documentary at the Visitor Center. It had seats and was warm. But once they thawed, they were outside again.