At left: J.D. McMillian of Indiana topples several bowling pins using a slippery frozen chicken during Winterfest in Mackinaw City Saturday, January 16. This year's game presented a unique challenge, as in previous years there was plenty of snow for the chicken to slide across. Teresa Ditta of Mackinaw City quickly scooped a helping of chili and passed it to an eager tastetester. Like many others, the tester smiled widely after emptying the bowl, then moving over to devour a bowl from one of the other five chili cook-off contestants at the Mackinaw City American Legion Post 159. The contest was one of many events taking place during the Mackinaw City Winterfest Saturday, January 16.

"I just started adding things and came up with this," Mrs. Ditta said of the recipe's creation, using a mild mix of ground beef, spices, and beans."Everyone seems to enjoy it."

Her chili, which she called "Homer's Homestyle Chili" in honor of the Simpsons television show anniversary, won first place in the chili contest. It was also tasty enough to win the People's Choice Award, netting $90 total in prize money.

The Dixie Saloon's wooden-keg-shaped outhouse won first place at the Mackinaw City Winterfest race Saturday, January 16. Pictured (from left) are racers Andy Jackson of Cheboygan, Garth Law of St. Ignace, Klaus Jaggi of Mackinaw City, Aron Fitzpatick of Cheboygan, and Joseph Lieghio of Mackinaw City (center), bearing the golden toilet seat. "It is unusual to have all three judges to pick the same chili and win the People's Choice Award," said Rob Most, crier of the contest results.

The award-winning recipe owed its refinement to Mrs. Ditta's children, she said, since she constantly adjusted the flavor for them.

"If my kids aren't going to eat it, what's the point of making a big pot that I'm only going to eat?" she said.

Teresa Ditta (left) and Christine Tranquilla of Cheboygan hold up their medals for first place and People's Choice Awards at the Winterfest chili contest at Mackinaw City American Legion Post 159 Saturday, January 16. All three judges unanimously voted for their Homer's Homestyle Chili. The legion hall was packed that afternoon with residents and visitors purchasing Winterfest buttons, enabling them to taste and vote on the five different concoctions. Lines were long and often confused as hungry taste-testers awaited samples.

Other chili recipes included were Flaming Flamingo Chili, Camp Chili, Better Than A Ride At The Fair Chili, and Granny Mae's Great Aunt's Cousin's Stepsister's Award Winning Mouth-Watering Chicken Chili.

Many of the contestants' posts were festively decorated, with the Flaming Flamingo Chili served up next to plastic flamingos and pink napkins, Granny Mae's passed out among many vintage pictures of Mae's family, and the fair chili dished-out by the Cheboygan County Fair Queen, Nicki Drielts. Camp chili was served in an outdoor themed display, with moist chunks of golden cornbread. The spicy flamingo chili earned Best Presentation during the contest.

Games were offered during the festival. Children lobbed frozen chickens short distances, sending them skittering on the bare earth toward three bowling pins. Adults chucked frozen trout into tires during the fish toss and shoved clocks into goals during clock broom hockey. Chickens were originally going to be used for the hockey game, said Dawn Edwards of the Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce, but because of the mild winter there was little snow to work with, so clocks were used instead, as they could easily skid along the grass and slush.

Many attending Winterfest were treated to an elaborate snow carving by Larry Strouse of Carp Lake. Mr. Strouse carved a scene depicting several bears, a tree trunk with a raccoon popping out of it, and an outhouse.

Spectators gathered at Shepler's Mackinac Island Ferry parking lot to see nearly a dozen hand-crafted outhouses raced by teams of five people.

Two slim tracks were formed out of available snow . Outhouses were elaborately decorated and designed to be pushed and pulled down the track as quickly as possible. A special outhouse shaped like the ESPN logo was raced by a team from the television sports channel.

Before the race, teams examined the ropes they would use to tow the hulking outhouses and made last-minute adjustments. Others hurriedly discussed pushing and pulling strategies, factoring in last year's successes and misses on how best to perform.

Spectators cheered and snapped photographs as the teams worked hard to drag their portable toilets across the race track. Many quickly ran off-course, with the bottoms of the outhouses groaning loudly on the exposed pavement. Racers often slipped on the snow, spilling onto the track briefly before scrambling to their feet and resuming the race. In the excitement, outhouses often threatened to topple over as they shifted dangerously from left to right during the race.

All outhouse teams raced twice, with the three best times moving into the finals. The Dixie Saloon's outhouse shaped like a wooden keg took first place in the finals with a time of 15.72 seconds. The Wee Wee Tee Pee, a tee pee-shaped outhouse with toilet tissue dangling from its top, was awarded second place at 16.41 seconds. The Flamingo Flushers outhouse , covered in pink feathers and complete with a flamingo head, achieved third place at 20.56 seconds.

Contest Results

Chicken Bowling

Joe Smith Fredrick of Maryland and Chuck Raper of Cheboygan

Frozen Fish Toss

John Van Mack of Indian River and Ray Lafond of Sand Lake.

Poker Run Top Two Jill Bott of Indian River and Becky Belknup of Ann Arbor with a straight flush.

Chili Contest

Winner: Homer's Homestyle Chili

People's Choice: Homer's Homestyle Chili

People's Choice Runner-Up: Camp Chili

Best Presentation: Flamingo Chili

Provided By Mackinaw City Chamber of Commerce