Willow State Winter Carnival begins today

WILLOW — Although Dena’ina Athabascan Indians occupied the area historically, the modern-day community traces its roots to the discovery of gold on Willow Creek in 1897.

By 1954, Willow Creek was Alaska’s largest gold mining district, with total production approaching $18 million.

Organized in 1960, it was the Willow Area Civic Organization that organized the first Willow Winter Carnival on Feb. 26, 1966.

This year, the 52nd annual Willow State Winter Carnival kicks off two weekends of fun and games Alaska style today with a buffet dinner at 6:30 p.m. and fireworks at 8 p.m.

The fun continues all day Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 26-27, and again Feb. 2-3. All activities take place at the Willow Community Center at Mile 69, Parks Highway. Doors open at 10 a.m., Saturdays and Sundays.

As fundraisers go, the Willow State Winter Carnival is unique for its array of events — from ice cream eating contests and snowshoe softball to vintage snowmachine races and homesteaders events.

As impressive as the event itself is, as a mechanism to fund local government, this carnival also is noteworthy. Since the community has no authority to collect taxes, the fundraiser also is the primary fundraiser for the community at large, said this year’s organizer Jaimee High.

During the events’ early years, the Alaska Railroad played a key role in carrying patrons to and from the event.

Mother and daughter Rosemary Hanrath and Marianne Merrill recounted their first trip to the Willow carnival in 1968.

“Ads were abundant describing AK RR roundtrip to the Annual Willow Carnival with turn-around at Talkeetna,” the pair wrote in a story for the carnival capturing the history of the event’s early days. “So newly arrived residents (mother and daughter) purchased tickets and boarded the train early on a Saturday morning anticipating an exciting weekend jaunt.”

Once in Willow, though, the two found out their winter gear was inadequate for the weather. Thankfully, an old timer came to their aid and rubbed Marianne’s feet for an hour or so until the circulation had returned.

“So much time was spent in this first aid maneuver that we missed much of the homespun outdoor activity,” the two recall in their story.

On the train headed back from Talkeetna to Anchorage the conductor told them there would be entertainment in the boxcar.

“Soon after takeoff we moved from our seat to that car. And, lo and behold, there was a full Dixieland band complete with piano,” they wrote. “Folks, you have not lived until you have danced in an AK RR boxcar moving down the tracks from Willow to Anchorage!”

A full schedule of events is printed below and is online at bit.ly/WXI8Rf.

For more information, contact jaimeekinzer@hotmail.com or 495-8911.