When life hands Skaneateles residents snowflakes, they make chili, snow sculptures and crafts.
WinterFest 2008 kicks off at around 9 a.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, at various locations around town. The event, sponsored by the Skaneateles Sunrise Rotary Club, includes dogsled demonstrations, shows by a stunt comedian and a craft fair with more than 40 booths.
And this year, the festival, which draws anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 people, is hoping to expand the number and type of activities.
“If anything, we're adding events. The question is which ones specifically,” said John Paddock, WinterFest coordinator.
The daylong event includes several tasty activities.
Take, for example, the Beer and Wine Festival at Joe's Pasta Garage, located at 28 Jordan St. The restaurant will shut down for the day and transform itself into a place where adults can sample 20 to 30 different beers (many of them craft brews) as well as several varieties of wine.
Last year, Joe's held its inaugural BrewFest, and the eatery decided to also add vino this year.
“People can just walk in, and they can taste as much as they want,” said co-owner Jamie Hunt.
Some of the brew is purchased by Joe's, while some is donated by distributor TJ Sheehan. And while JPG's purchases half of the wine, the other half is donated by Southern Wine and Spirits.
Fees for the festival, which begins at noon and will last about four hours, are $18 for pre-sale tickets (available at Joe's) and $20 at the door. Hunt also plans to invite back Steve Adydan, a collector of a wide range of beer memorabilia.
Wine will also be available at a wine-tasting event at the Village Bottle Shop, 18 W. Genesee St. This free tasting, now in its inaugural year, will last from noon to 4 p.m. and will include hors d'oeuvres.
And if you're looking for some solid food to go along with all that ale and wine, the Sherwood Inn, 26 W. Genesee St., will be hosting a chili cook-off, featuring some savory selections from area restaurants. In an effort to add something new to support the Rotary, the inn is also including chowders in this year's competition, said Rita Trenti, director of sales and marketing for the Sherwood.
A $2 donation to Rotary will get you a sample of each chili and/or chowder.
While the good eats are downtown, many other activities will be centered around the Skaneateles Community Center, 97 State St. When WinterFest was revived in 2004 following a 30-year absence, organizers purposely had it coincide with the annual youth hockey tournament games at the center.
“Some of the strongest praises we have had have been folks who come in for the hockey tournament,” Paddock said, noting that WinterFest helps them to pass the time between games.
The annual craft fair will be stationed in the center, as will three shows by Wacky Chad, a stunt comedian who rides a tall unicycle, balances a shopping cart on his face and performs pogo stick tricks, according to his Web site.
“He's apparently very good with the kids,” Paddock said of Wacky Chad, who is making his WinterFest debut during performances at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. at the community center.
Just outside the center will be area ice sculptor Stanley Kolonko, of The Ice Farm. Kolonko won first place in the realistic category, as well as the Artists' Choice Award and the Governor's Choice Award, for his ice sculpture at the 2006 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Snow and ice will also play a role in the townwide snow sculpture competition. Last year, families and organizations created sculptures that looked like SpongeBob SquarePants, a penguin and a sphinx.
“We'll have piles of snow located around town, and we'll just assign (the groups) a pile of snow,” Paddock said, adding that people can also create the sculptures in front of their homes.
WinterFest is a fundraiser for the Sunrise Rotary. Last year, the festival raised more than $3,000, and these funds were distributed to local charities such as the Skaneateles Ecumenical Food Pantry and Laker Limo, as well as to Rotary programs like Rotary Youth Exchange.
If you go
What: WinterFest 2008
When: 9 a.m. Saturday
Where: Skaneateles
For details: Call 685-0552
And this year, the festival, which draws anywhere from 1,500 to 2,000 people, is hoping to expand the number and type of activities.
“If anything, we're adding events. The question is which ones specifically,” said John Paddock, WinterFest coordinator.
The daylong event includes several tasty activities.
Take, for example, the Beer and Wine Festival at Joe's Pasta Garage, located at 28 Jordan St. The restaurant will shut down for the day and transform itself into a place where adults can sample 20 to 30 different beers (many of them craft brews) as well as several varieties of wine.
Last year, Joe's held its inaugural BrewFest, and the eatery decided to also add vino this year.
“People can just walk in, and they can taste as much as they want,” said co-owner Jamie Hunt.
Some of the brew is purchased by Joe's, while some is donated by distributor TJ Sheehan. And while JPG's purchases half of the wine, the other half is donated by Southern Wine and Spirits.
Fees for the festival, which begins at noon and will last about four hours, are $18 for pre-sale tickets (available at Joe's) and $20 at the door. Hunt also plans to invite back Steve Adydan, a collector of a wide range of beer memorabilia.
Wine will also be available at a wine-tasting event at the Village Bottle Shop, 18 W. Genesee St. This free tasting, now in its inaugural year, will last from noon to 4 p.m. and will include hors d'oeuvres.
And if you're looking for some solid food to go along with all that ale and wine, the Sherwood Inn, 26 W. Genesee St., will be hosting a chili cook-off, featuring some savory selections from area restaurants. In an effort to add something new to support the Rotary, the inn is also including chowders in this year's competition, said Rita Trenti, director of sales and marketing for the Sherwood.
A $2 donation to Rotary will get you a sample of each chili and/or chowder.
While the good eats are downtown, many other activities will be centered around the Skaneateles Community Center, 97 State St. When WinterFest was revived in 2004 following a 30-year absence, organizers purposely had it coincide with the annual youth hockey tournament games at the center.
“Some of the strongest praises we have had have been folks who come in for the hockey tournament,” Paddock said, noting that WinterFest helps them to pass the time between games.
The annual craft fair will be stationed in the center, as will three shows by Wacky Chad, a stunt comedian who rides a tall unicycle, balances a shopping cart on his face and performs pogo stick tricks, according to his Web site.
“He's apparently very good with the kids,” Paddock said of Wacky Chad, who is making his WinterFest debut during performances at 11:30 a.m., 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. at the community center.
Just outside the center will be area ice sculptor Stanley Kolonko, of The Ice Farm. Kolonko won first place in the realistic category, as well as the Artists' Choice Award and the Governor's Choice Award, for his ice sculpture at the 2006 World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska.
Snow and ice will also play a role in the townwide snow sculpture competition. Last year, families and organizations created sculptures that looked like SpongeBob SquarePants, a penguin and a sphinx.
“We'll have piles of snow located around town, and we'll just assign (the groups) a pile of snow,” Paddock said, adding that people can also create the sculptures in front of their homes.
WinterFest is a fundraiser for the Sunrise Rotary. Last year, the festival raised more than $3,000, and these funds were distributed to local charities such as the Skaneateles Ecumenical Food Pantry and Laker Limo, as well as to Rotary programs like Rotary Youth Exchange.
If you go
What: WinterFest 2008
When: 9 a.m. Saturday
Where: Skaneateles
For details: Call 685-0552
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