The weather outside should not
be too frightful for this weekend’s
Cooperstown Winter Carnival.
It might be a little nippy with the
forecast calling for temperatures in
the low 20s, but there are no blizzards
in sight.
``I can take it if it is in the 20s,’’ says
event co-chair Tina Macaluso. ``It
would be better if the temperatures
would climb into the 30s, but I will
take it.’’
Winter carnival festivities will begin
Friday and run though Sunday.
The annual event brings the community
together for an entire weekend
and gets people out of the house,
says Macaluso. People tend to forget
how cold it is outside because they
have so much fun, she added.
This will be the 44th year the Village
of Cooperstown has hosted an
assortment of winter activities. The
event has taken on several themes
throughout the years, and will take
on a western theme this year.
``We are trying to incorporate as
many western-themed activities as
possible,’’ says Macaluso.
New to this year’s festivities will
be bucking bronco mechanical bull
rides for $2 a ride. People will be able
to take the ultimate cowboy challenge
and see if they can ride the
bucking bronco for eight seconds on
Saturday from noon to 4 p.m. in the
rib-eating contest, but in
order to stick with the western
theme, this year’s winter
carnival will have a ``Blazing
Saddles” Bean-Eating Contest
instead. Participants must be
older than 18 to participate
unless a parent is present to
sign a waiver. There will be an
adult and youth competition
for those who think they can
eat the most beans in two
minutes. The contest will be
held at 1:30 p.m. on Saturday
in the Doubleday parking lot.
The biggest new event we
have planned for this year’s
winter carnival is the ``Are You
Smarter than a Cooperstown
Fifth Grader Contest,’’ says
Macaluso. Local contestants
will challenge Cooperstown
fifth graders at TJ’s Restaurant
on Main Street. The event will
be held from 6 to 8 p.m. on
Saturday and prizes will go
to benefit the Cooperstown
Lions Club. There is a $5 entry
fee. For more information call,
547-6026. Dinner will be available
while watching the show
for $10.
Macaluso says since the
Cooperstown Chamber of
Commerce has discontinued
its Snowfest weekend, which
used to feature ice sculpting,
the winter carnival staff has
taken it upon themselves to
bring the crowd pleaser back.
People have often mixed this
event up as a winter carnival
event and keep asking where
it has gone, says Macaluso.
She says it was not a winter
carnival event in the past, but
members from Iceography
have been hired this year to
create cowboy-themed ice
sculptures at Lakefront Park
on Saturday from noon to 3
p.m.
Hopefully we get a little
more snow for our winter activities
such as sled racing and
the snowman-making contest,
says Macaluso.
A snow sculpting contest
will be held from 9 a.m. to
3 p.m. on Saturday on Main
Street. To enter, visit the
Carnival Kiosk in Pioneer Park
for a sculpting assignment. An
award of $25 will be given for
best adult, youth and business
sculpture.
The snowman-making contest
will be held from 9 a.m.
to 3 p.m. on Saturday on the
Village Library lawn. Registration
for ``The Sled Stampede’’
Youth and Adult Races will
begin at 10:30 a.m. on Sunday
in Lakefront Park.
Macaluso says the popular
Carnival Cooler and Drink
Contest will feature line dance
lessons this year. The ``Wild
Wild Winter Hoedown’’ Carnival
Cooler and Drink Contest
will be held from 7 p.m. to
midnight on Friday at Templeton
Hall, which is located at 63
Pioneer Street. There will be a
$5 entry fee, which includes
drink samples. Participants
must be 21 and older.
Typically, local businesses
donate little items to raffle,
but this year we are going
to have one big 50/50 raffle
instead, says Macaluso.
According to Macaluso, the
most popular activities include
anything involving food
and the SPCA dog show.
People seem to enjoy
coming year after year for
the Dessert Lovers Bonanza,
says Macaluso. This event will
be held from 3 to 4 p.m. at
the Farmers’ Market building
in Pioneer Ally on Saturday.
There is a $5 fee.
The SPCA Dog Show will
be held at 12:30 p.m. in the
Doubleday parking lot. Categories
will include best western
costume, owner look alike,
smallest dog, largest dog, best
singer and best trick.
Another must see event is
the annual parade held at 11
a.m. on Saturday. The parade
will begin at the intersection
of Main Street and Railroad
Avenue, and make its way
down Main Street to end at
Cooper Park.
``The parade is a way for
the whole family to get out
and have some fun despite
cold weather,’’ says committee
member Mike DeSimone.
In sync with the Winter
Carnival’s Wild West theme,
the parade will be dubbed the
``Carnival Corral.’’ The parade
will be judged, with prizes
including $125 for first place,
$75 for second and $50 for
third.
Fireworks will be held at
Lakefront Park at 6:30 p.m. on
Friday.
Macaluso says the winter
carnival is a great event
because a lot of the money
earned is put right back into
the community somehow.
The festivities will be
wrapped up during the ``Last
Stand” Chili Contest on Sunday.
The closing celebrations
will be held from 3 to 5 p.m. at
Hoffman Lane Bistro.
For a full schedule of events
visit cooperstowncarnival.org.
