By Hayleigh Gowans

Staff Writer

Often during the winter season, it can be hard to find community events to participate in. For that reason, local business owner Carol Porto got the idea to put together the Fayetteville Manlius Winterfest on Saturday, Jan. 28, to bring local businesses, organizations and residents together despite the winter season.

“I just wanted to find a way to bring the whole community together,” said Porto, owner of Café 119 in Manlius. “I hope people of all ages can find something fun to do that day and get out of their house.”

Porto said she got the idea to organize the Fayetteville-Manlius thanks to a similar event that she organized in Cape Vincent, N.Y.

Before the Winterfest events kick off, the Manlius Lions Club will host a pancake breakfast from 8 a.m. to noon at the auditorium of the Manlius Village Centre, 1 Arkie Albanese Avenue in Manlius. The schedule of events following will be held until 7 p.m. at the Manlius Village Centre, 1 Arkie Albanese Avenue in Manlius, and includes a day full of activities for all ages.

The day’s schedule of events is as follows: a children’s cookie decorating contest and piñata at 11 a.m.; a healthy living program put on by Anytime Fitness in Manlius at noon; a chili cook-off and tasting from noon to 4 p.m.; an outdoors tug-of-war organized by CrossFit DeWitt at 1 p.m.; and a Monkey Bridge and mini-doughnut making from 2 to 4 p.m. with a local Boy Scouts troop.

All day events at the Winterfest include food trucks starting at noon, vendors and crafters, sledding and other outdoor winter activities. Porto hopes all attendees will dress in outdoor winter clothing for outdoor events, and children are also encouraged to dress in winter-themed costumes for indoor events.

Sponsors of the event include Geddes Federal Savings and Loan, Fast Signs of Syracuse, Onondaga Beverage and Café 119. For more information, call Carol Porto at 420-8424 or Chris Feltrinelli at 632-1473.