Curtis Winter Carnival Will Be Saturday
By Paul Gingras

The 14th Annual Curtis Carnival will be on South Manistique Lake in Curtis Saturday, February 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In addition to games, the popular Curtis Fish Coop, the Great Northern Chili Bowl chili cook-off, the Children's Mini-Snowmobile Challenge, and fireworks over the lake at dusk are expected to draw enthusiastic crowds again this year, said Heather Goldthorpe, director of the Curtis Area Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event.

"Things are shaping up really well," Miss Goldthorpe said.

The entrance to the carnival will be at the corner of Lake and Main streets. To get in, participants will need a $3 festival button, which can be purchased at businesses throughout Curtis or at the entrance on carnival day. At the entrance, tickets for games will be sold for $1. Tickets for the cook-off are $2 for cookers and tasters.

Announcements of contest winners will be at the sound booth on the ice at 4 p.m.

Carnival buttons will be numbered. Participants with winning buttons will receive $20 prizes. Prizes can be collected at the chamber of commerce building or they can be mailed to the recipient, Miss Goldthorpe said.

There is no fee to enter chili in the cook-off, which takes place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. The traveling trophy is an inlaid chili bowl, currently held by Woods-N-Water Real Estate in Curtis.

The popular Curtis Fish Coop is a fenced-in area with ice-fishing holes outside, and a wooden building with a fishing area inside. Beneath the ice, more than 1,000 rainbow trout will be held in an enclosure.

Outside, the cost to fish is $3 for children and $5 for adults. Within the building, anyone can fish for $5.

Everyone who purchases a ticket to fish will be entered in a drawing for grand prize that is yet to be revealed. To receive the prize, participants must be present at the coop at 3:30 p.m., Miss Goldthorpe said.

In keeping with the theme, a huge piñata of a fish, full of prizes, will be available for children at 1 p.m.

If weather permits, an area of the lake will be sectioned-off for ice golf from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. The cost is tentatively set at $1.

A free snowman-building contest will take place this year. The builder of the best snowman will receive a prize.

Carnival "turkey bowling" will be at 11 a.m. Participants will hurl wrapped, frozen, 12-to-13-pound turkeys down a snowbank alley at bowling pins. Those who score strikes will receive candy bars.

Event organizers will plow an oval track for the Children's Mini- Snowmobile Challenge, which takes place at 2:30 p.m. Children will compete by age group. First, second, and third place winners will receive medals.

Food booths will be available throughout the day. Fifty-fifty raffles will take place at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., and 3 p.m.

After sunset, fireworks sponsored by Three Lakes Area Fireworks Council will light the sky above the lake.

Sunday from 8 a.m. until noon, an all-you-can-eat pancake breakfast will be at the Curtis Community Building, hosted by the Manistique Lakes Area Lions Club.

For more information, call the Curtis Area Chamber of Commerce at (906) 586-3700.