DANBURY — A performance on the Danbury CityCenter Green by world champion figure skaters Evgenia Shiskova and Vadim Naumov will highlight the first annual “Wild Winter Warm Up,” an afternoon of skating, children’s activities, music and competitive cooking.

The celebration, sponsored by the Danbury Millennium Project and the Winter Warm Up Committee, begins at 2 pm on Sunday, February 13, with a skating exhibition by Ms Shiskova and Mr Naumov. Winners of numerous awards, including the 1999 Masters of Figure Skating Tournament, Ms Shiskova and Mr Naumov train in Simsbury at the International Skating Center of Connecticut. The two-time national champions were named World Pair Champions in 1994, World Professional Pair Champions in 1998, and have twice been Olympic team members.

A temporary rink will be constructed on the green for the skaters, who will sign autographs after their performance.

Beginning at 3 pm Sunday afternoon, local National Hockey League legends Norm Barnes and Bob Crawford will conduct a “shoot-to-win” contest. Mr Barnes, an All-Star defenseman for the Philadelphia Flyers, finished his stellar career with the Hartford Whalers. Mr Crawford, who scored 36 goals for the Whalers during the 1983-84 season, also played for the St. Louis Blues, New York Rangers and Washington Capitals. Both athletes are former presidents of the Hartford Whalers Alumni Association. After the “shoot-to-win” contest, there will be time set aside for public skating.

The festivities move indoors at 4 pm, when the Colorado Brewery and Trading Company hosts a “Stew-Off.” Community organizations will compete to see who can cook the best stew. Local celebrity judges will be on hand to award first, second and third place prizes in the amounts of $1,000, $600 and $400, with the monies going to the winners’ favorite charities.

Local artists The Clark Eno Orchestra will provide musical entertainment, with Danbury Mayor Gene Eriquez expected to step on stage for a few numbers as guest guitarist.

There will be activities for children as well, including a magician, coloring contest, and face painting and art activities provided by Escape to the Arts. There will also be several giveaways, including restaurant certificates, a weekend in Vermont sponsored by radio station i-95, and T-shirts for the first 75 people who attend.

Planning for the “Wild Winter Warm Up” began last year. It was originally scheduled to take place at the new Arc International Skating Rink, which is still under construction.

“We won’t be able to present the winter carnival in the format we had anticipated, so we’ll do that next year,” said Mayor Gene Eriquez. “We scaled things back a bit and did what was practical.”