Organizers of this year's Cooperstown Winter Carnival said they hope participants will say goodbye to the winter blues.
Festivities will be held at various locations around the village beginning Friday and will end with a chili contest at 3 p.m. Sunday at Brewery Ommegang's new cafe.
The annual event brings the community together for an entire weekend and gets people out of the house, event co-chairwoman Samantha Carr said.
"The goal is to provide a fun-filled weekend and get people out and about during the winter season," Carr said. "I feel like there is something for everyone."
This will mark the 45th year the village of Cooperstown has hosted a winter carnival. The event theme is "Surf, Sun and Snow."
"We are trying to incorporate the theme as much as possible," Carr said. "We thought it would be fun to have this theme because who doesn't want to visit a beach in the midst of the winter?"
Carr said it is always nice to have a good amount of snow for events such as the snowman-making contest, sled races and snow sculptures. All outdoor events are dependent on weather and may be canceled or moved to a different location because of unfavorable conditions. A heated tent will be available in Doubleday Parking Lot from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday.
New this year will be a pig roast, hula hoop contest, mechanical surfboard and inflatable bouncy house. All of these events will be held in the Doubleday Parking Lot on Saturday. The King Kamehameha Pig Roast will be held from noon to 3 p.m., and the others from noon to 4 p.m.
Carr said the "Are You Smarter than a Cooperstown Fifth Grader Contest" was also a crowd pleaser last year. She said instead of bringing the same contest back, the carnival committee chose to have a "Cooperstown Got Talent and Lip Sync Contest."
The talent part is aimed for children and the lip sync for adults, she said. Committee members said they thought it would be good to bring the lip sync back after not including it for several years. The talent show will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. and the lip sync contest from 8 to 10 p.m. Saturday at TJ's Restaurant on Main Street.
Last year's event featured a bean-eating contest, but to stick with the tropical theme, this year will feature a "Waikiki" watermelon-eating contest. Those interested in participating must be older than 18, unless a parent is present to sign a waiver. There will be adult and youth competitions to see who can eat the most watermelon in two minutes. The showdown will begin at 1:30 p.m. Saturday in Doubleday Parking Lot.
According to Carr, the most popular events include the Carnival Cooler and Drink Contest, the SSPCA Dog Show, food contests and music.
The "Rip Tide" Carnival Cooler and Drink Contest, featuring musician Mike Feulner, will be held at 7:30 p.m. Friday at Templeton Hall.
The SSPCA DOG show will be held at 12:30 p.m. Saturday at Doubleday Parking Lot. People can enter their dog in any of the six categories: best luau costume, owner look alike, smallest dog, best singer and best trick. Call 547-8111 for more information.
Downtown Cooperstown will come alive with live music during the "Hang Ten Hang Out" on Saturday night. Beginning at 9 p.m. and lasting until close, area businesses will host bands free of charge for adults 21 and older.
She said food entries for the popular dessert lovers contest are still being sought. Carr said people really enjoy this event, and organizers want to make sure there are lots of tastings available. The "Island Indulgences" Dessert Lovers contest will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Farmer's Market building in Pioneer Alley. For more information, visit the event website at cooperstowncarnival.org or call 547-0326. Organizers said entries will be taken until today.
Carr said entries are also still being sought for the "Tropical Paradise" Parade, which will kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday on Main Street.
"The parade is a way for the whole family to get out and have some fun despite cold weather," committee member Mike DeSimone said.
For a full schedule of events, visit the carnival website at cooperstowncarnival.org.
Local News
Cooperstown to hold 45th annual winter carnival
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