from Tokachi and Hokkaido and a restaurant overlooking the town. Every October Ikeda holds its annual wine festival, drawing visitors from all over Hokkaido. For 4,000 yen, one can sample as much Ikeda wine and beef as they wish. It is a very popular festival and is Ikeda's main event of the year. Near to the wine castle is Happiness Dairy, a local cheese and ice cream producer. One can see the dairy making process here, or taste the delicious ice cream at the end of the process. The dairy farm is so popular it has been renamed by locals as "Happiness Daily". About 2 kilometres from the station is "Makiba no ie" a campsite with log cabins available for rent. It also has an Italian restaurant which uses local Ikeda produce. In the summer there is also an outside cafe, play area for children and sheepdog shows. Near to the high school is "Spinners Farm" a sheep farm where one can learn to spin his or her own wool or take a wool weaving workshop. Spinners Farm sells good quality wool and local crafts and occasionally also holds art exhibitions. Nearby to Spinners Farm is Moonface Cafe, a cafe and art gallery serving coffee and light lunches. There are also often art exhibitions held there. Winter Activities As the winter is long in Hokkaido, there are many winter activities to keep the locals busy. As the weather maintains good ice skating conditions, there are local free ice skating rinks in the town. There is also an ice curling rink next to the town's community hall. In nearby Makubetsu (5 km) there is a small ski hill. Larger ski hills such as Sahoro and Tomamu are further away in the Hidaka mountains, but by the expressway they are accessible in under an hour. International Exchange Ikeda is the sister city of Penticton, Canada. Every two years there is a visit from students in Canada to Ikeda. They spend a week with local hosts and go to school with local students. There are also two foreign Assistant Language Teachers in Ikeda, who assist local students' English education and help to promote international awareness in the town. References External links Official Website Towns in Hokkaido