The WINTER GAMES are competitive games introduced to Carmel by the City of Carmel to provide fun activities in the winter, community engagement and raise funds for nonprofits. The city provides igloos on a first come basis. So, participants who know this fact come the night before the event to claim their igloo. Igloos have seating, carpet and a heater. Two or three participants even chose to bring a grill. This creates a tailgating environment. Any group of individuals can form a team. It is all about community. Teams include neighborhood groups, social groups, exercise groups, businesses, churches. Enthusiasts assemble their teams, build team spirit, talk about preparation for the event, and lessons learned from each relay. The three competitive events include the ICE TRIKE RELAY, HUMAN CURLING and HUMAN HUNGRY HIPPO. The games last approximately five hours on the ice rink housed between The Performing Arts Center and the Tarkington Theatre.