Annual Talent Show, hikes, pancake breakfast, snowshoe drawing just a few of the events scheduled to occur

By Jason Emerson

editor

Cazenovia will be buzzing with activities and events this weekend during the annual Winter Festival. In addition to the usual festival activities of the talent show, snow sculpture competitions, ice skating, snow shoeing and the American Legion pancake breakfast, there will also be snowshoe drawing at the Stone Quarry Hill Art Park, special outdoor hikes sponsored by the Cazenovia Preservation Foundation and a Fat Bike Race at the Empire Farmstead Brewery on Rippleton Road.

Everything kicks off Friday night, Feb. 10, with the WinterFest Talent Show and Opening Ceremony from 7 to 9 p.m. in the Cazenovia High School Auditorium. Prizes will be awarded to the top acts by the judges: the “King and Queen of Winterfest.” Tickets $5 at the door. Proceeds to fund student scholarships. Refreshments available at intermission.

Also Friday night will be a Full Moon Snowshoe Hike at 7 p.m. at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park and a Snow drawing presentation also at 7 p.m. at Common Grounds. The snowshoe hike will be a 2-to-3-mile loop in the Art Park, starting at the main building. Bring headlamp or flashlight. Dress appropriately and bring an extra layer and some water. Ski or hiking poles are encouraged. This medium difficulty hike is free and open to the public. The snow drawing presentation by Art Park Artist-in-Residence Sonja Hinrichsen will share images from her 2016 Snow Drawings at Stone Quarry Hill Art Park in anticipation of the 2017 event scheduled on Cazenovia Lake on February 11 as part of Winter Fest. Free and open to the public.

On Saturday, start the day off with the annual pancake breakfast from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Cazenovia American Legion Post 88, 26 Chenango St., Cazenovia. Adults $7, 12 and under $5. Snow sculpture competitions will be going on all morning downtown, while the snowshoe drawing with Art Park Artist-in-Residence Sonja Hinrichsen will begin at 11 a.m. at the Art Park. Tickets $5. All ticket sales include a free pint from Empire Farm Brewery following the event. Snowshoe rentals available. Ticket sales support the Art Park’s Artist-in-Residence program. Purchase tickets online or call the art park.

At 2 p.m. on Saturday, go to Catherine Cummings Theatre to see Disney’s “Moana” or go to the library for ScrabbleFest. Theater doors open at 1 p.m., movie starts at 2 p.m. Tickets $6 and will be available at the door. Children 12 and under must be accompanied by an adult. Scrabblefest goes from 2 to 4 p.m. in the library community room. Anyone ages 8 to adult can play for free and even win prizes.

On Sunday, Empire Brewing Company will host its second Fat Tire Race at the farmstead brewery at 10 a.m. on Rippleton Road, while the annual CCH Snowflake Run for children 12 years and under starts at 1 p.m. The race is a free 800-meter race around the Village Green. Register by Middle School at 12:30 p.m.

At 2 p.m. warm up at the library with the Winter Festival chocolate party. Enjoy stories, songs and activities centered on animals in winter. Visitors from the Rogers Environmental Education Center will talk about some of the local animals we might come across this winter. Hot chocolate and cookies will be served following the presentation. Free and open to the public.

For more information on WinterFest events, see the previously posted schedule.