Willow hosting 64th annual winter carnival

The 64th annual Willow Winter Carnival will begin Friday January 23rd and continue throughout the next two weekends at the Willow Community Center. Hosted by the Willow Area Community Organization (WACO), the carnival is a time for friends to come together, participate in a variety of winter-themed activities and enjoy live performances in the new year.

“The people around here look forward to it,” WACO Carnival Chair Danielle Barve said. “It’s a good time to get together and enjoy some old snow machines and dancing and vendors and people.”

This year’s theme is patriotic in celebration of the country’s 250th birthday. The artwork for this year’s carnival, submitted by Shaun Rees and voted on by the public, is a bearded cowboy riding a bull moose and carrying an American flag in one hand and the Alaska state flag in the other. The artwork was a big hit with apparel and sold out for the first time ever. Limited quantities will be available for sale at the carnival.

The carnival kicks off with a musical performance by Jamie Hansen on Friday January 23rd. The concert begins at 6 p.m. with pulltabs and concessions available. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at the door. Reserved seats are available.

A kids bake silent auction will begin late in the morning on Saturday January 24 followed by a matinee performance by Jamie Hansen at 3 p.m. Tickets are $7 at the door with reserved seats available for the concert. Bingo starts at 6 p.m. that night and usually draws a large crowd.

Sunday January 25 is family game day at the community center. From 2 p.m. through 4 p.m., there will be a variety of board and card games, video games and more for the entire family to enjoy. A veterans tribute community potluck hosted by WACO and the Alaska Veterans Association will take place simultaneously. The day will be capped off with a “Talent or Not” show at 6 p.m. The public is encouraged to sign up to show off their hidden talents or skills for the community to enjoy.

Keynote speaker Shannon Howard will be hosting a talk on Wednesday January 28th at the community center titled the “Midlife Mom Reset.” Howard will be talking about balancing work and family, managing stress and living a healthy life. The event is free and attendees are encouraged to bring canned goods for the food bank.

“I’m very excited to see what she has to say,” Barve said.

The second weekend of the carnival starts on Friday January 30th with a quick draw competition prior to a silent auction and the official kickoff dinner at 6 p.m. The Willow king and queen will be announced at 6:30 p.m. and a fireworks show on Willow Lake will start at 7:15 p.m.

Saturday the 31st starts with the Willow Elementary PTA breakfast at 8 a.m. The Lead Dog and Billy Taylor 5k Ski Race, the Sven Ericsson 25k Bike-Ski-Run, Skijouring and Twilight 5 Mile 5 Dog Dog Sled Race will occur on the lake during the day.

Backyard events include the homesteader games, kids games and a geocache scavenger hunt.

Stage events include the Whee Duet, Calypso Steel Drums, a Native Youth Olympics demonstration, Matanuska Beat, Rosewood Trio, an ice cream eating contest and the Fire and Ice dance. Vendors will have booths throughout the community center during the day.

“Some of those performers have been coming here for 40 years,” Barve said.

The last day of the carnival is Sunday February 1st and starts with another PTA breakfast at the school. The Kids Snow Cross, CC’s Skyfire Kitchen Poker Run, Radar Run and Blind Driver Run will all start on the lake.

Backyard events include the vintage sled show and shine, homesteader games, outhouse races and kids games.

Stage events for Sunday include the Borealis Dancers, a cute baby contest, Craig Walls, a cribbage tournament, the Yuraq Dancers and the grand finale pie and dessert scholarship auction. Proceeds from the auction go towards a scholarship fund that local students can apply for.

Raffle drawing winners, homesteader game winners and the photo contest winner will be announced in the afternoon on Sunday.

The event is open to the public and parking fees are $1. All proceeds from the event go towards the WACO fund that keeps the community center open. This annual event is a staple in the Willow community.

“It’s a fun time all the way around,” Barve said. “People are out in their snow gear and smiling. It doesn't seem to matter if it's 20 below or 20 above, people still come.”