Another Successful Wawasee Winter Carnival Is In The Books
SYRACUSE — Light snow sprinkles accentuated the festive mood at Oakwood Resort for the annual Wawasee Winter Carnival Saturday, Jan. 24.
The carnival was sponsored by the Kosciusko County Convention, Recreation and Visitor Commission and Lakeland Youth Center, with volunteer assistance from members of the Wawasee High School student council and Syracuse Boy Scout Troop 728.
A robust crowd of several hundred revelers partook in a variety of family-friendly activities at the resort and event center and on the old ball field.
Activities included a 5K run; polar plunge; sleigh rides; ice carving, glass blowing and sled dog demonstrations; about two dozen vendors; free s’mores, popcorn and hot cocoa; bowling, corn hole and football toss games; face painting; balloon animals; and a visit from princesses Elsa and Anna from “Frozen.”
Saturday’s events were preceded by Friday evening’s annual soup supper sponsored by the Wawasee Kiwanis Club. Fifteen soups and chowders were entered into the competition and the 200 or so patrons voted on their favorites. Winners were:
· Restaurant category: Matt Fry, Man Cave Brewing, chicken corn chowder
· Individual: Cole Warner, Zuppa Toscana
· Nonprofit: Amanda Torres, Syracuse Parks Department, broccoli cheese soup
· Business: Debra Parker, Garden Catering Co., vegetable beef soup
· Overall Winner: Becky Rassi, Resolute Logistics, creamy chicken and wild rice soup
The supper also included a silent auction with 18 items, among which was a collection of Indian artifacts. “Businesses and individuals in our community went above and beyond in donating to our cause,” said Michelle Edington, president of the Wawasee Kiwanis Club.
Proceeds of the supper and auction will go to the Kiwanis club for youth charities, scholarships and donations to Riley Children’s Hospital and Teen Parents Succeeding.
The polar plunge drew 25 contestants. A prize was awarded for the best costume and was won by a trio of intrepid souls impersonating Saturday Night Live’s Chris Farley as motivational speaker Matt Foley and Farley and Patrick Swayze as Chippendale dancers.
The polar plunge entry fees will be donated to the Turkey Creek Fire Department.
SoulShot, featuring John Kirkwood, ended the day with a three-hour concert in The Pier Restaurant.
A full wrap-up of the festival will appear in the Wednesday, Jan. 29, issue of The Mail-Journal.
Following are some images from the carnival:
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- Approximately two dozen food, craft, nutrition and other business vendors set up shop in the Oakwood Event Center.
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- About 200 attendees at the Friday evening Kiwanis soup supper fundraiser voted on their favorites among 15 soup and chowder entries.
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- SoulShot, featuring vocal artist John Kirkwood, ended the festival with a three-hour concert in The Pier Restaurant of Oakwood.
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- A group of Boy Scouts, leaders and parents enjoyed making s’mores over a wood fire pit outside the event center at Oakwood. Shown from left are Alex Nixon, 12; Jackson Hayes, 14; Carson Devanathan, 11; Scoutmaster Shawna Van Lue; Carson’s father, Sheldon; Christian Wilson; and his son Cole, 6.
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- Jane Miller consoles one of the eager sled dogs on the old ball field in Oakwood Park. Ready to run are Balto, front left, and Haku; Shila and Apollo; and Mary and Martha. Jane and her husband, Keith, tend the team of huskies.
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- Princess Elsa, left, and Princess Anna stopped by the event center from their “Frozen” homeland of Arondelle.
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- Lila Fierek, left, and Madelyn Long volunteered to dispense hot cocoa in the event center. Lila is a member of the Wawasee High School student council and Madelyn is a volunteer with Lakeland Youth Center.
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- Jason Miller of Syracuse, left front, and Justin Moyer of Goshen, dance as Chippendales while Kipp Barhydt, Nappanee, motivates the crowd with his impersonation of Chris Farley before they dive into the frigid waters of Lake Wawasee during the noon polar plunge. The three contestants, sponsored by Dutch Cleaning of Middlebury, won the prize for the best costumes.
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- Two-year-old Kairsyn Taylor enjoys a spoonful of alphabet soup at the Kiwanis soup supper Friday evening.
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- Nikolas Pawlicki, 3, takes a shot at the bowling pins set up by Allie Haberman, member of the Wawasee High School student council. Nikolas is the son of Tony and Hannah Pawlicki of Syracuse.
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- Balloon animal artist Clarabelle completes an order from a young patron at the Wawsee Winter Carnival. Clarabelle was joined by fellow clown Pipsqueak. The pair, who hail from the North Manchester area, estimated they made about 200 balloon animals during the two-hour family carnival.
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- Abigail Fawley, 5, daughter of Jared and Esther Fawley of Syracuse, puts her full faith in Wawasee High School student council member Terryn Conlee at the face painting table during the Wawasee Winter Carnival.
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- Eran Park, owner of The Glass Park in Fort Wayne, crafts a glass heart outside the event center at Oakwood. He described the flame as his canvas and the glass rod as his paintbrush.
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- Ryan Frauhiger of Forrest Carvings in Bluffton, completed two ice carvings in front of the Oakwood Event Center. Frauhiger is also a custom woodcarver in more amenable weather.
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- Mary Piercy, 11, daughter of Jonathan Piercy of Syracuse, holds an umbrella cockatoo at the live animal exhibit in the vendor room inside the Oakwood Event Center.
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- Cole Wilson enjoys the fruit of his labor at the s’more station outside the Oakwood Event Center.
