Winter slush fun

Carnival draws thousands

GRAVENHURST – Increased attendance, added fun, a fairly warm weekend and plenty of snow this year made the annual Gravenhurst winter carnival another major success.
This year, joining forces with the fourth annual Chainsaw Carving festival for the first time over the weekend of Feb. 22 to 24, paid attendance was up over the previous years and organizers are already trying to figure out more ways to keep that momentum upwards.
“The weekend is all about bringing people out to enjoy, not only the fun of the carnival, but all the town itself has to offer,” said Marg McLaughlin, chair of the carnival’s volunteer organizing committee, who added local businesses, the BIA and Chamber of Commerce all rallied to help provide sponsor support, events and prizes for the more than 3,000 people who took in the carnival and chainsaw festival. “Everybody stepped up to the plate to make the weekend a huge success; it’s really great when the community comes together like that.”
McLaughlin said in talks with local businesses, BIA and chamber members, it seems most of the town’s hotels were full with very few rooms left to offer and the local restaurants and pubs enjoyed busy weekends.
“The weather was a bit sloppy for things like the (snowmobile) radar runs on the lake (Muskoka), but they all still had a great time,” she added.
Events like Sunday’s annual demolition derby in Severn Bridge, two morning pancake breakfasts and a Saturday night swing dance at the Centennial Centre proved very popular she said, but added next year the committee may not hold a Friday night dance as attendance wasn’t the greatest.
“Saturday night seems to be the more popular night for the dances, so we do have some things to think about for next year,” McLaughlin said, adding the snow castle at Gull Lake by the chainsaw festival was crawling with youth all weekend and always seems to be one of the most popular features of the carnival. “And everyone always loves the polar bear dip; this year we had 34 people take part and that’s by far the biggest group we’ve had there.”
Also up in participation this year was the snow sculpture contest, which drew about 15 groups out, well up over the five or so of last year. She said the organizing committee will be starting fairly soon on preparing for next year’s carnival, which also happens to fall on the weekend prior to the opening of the 2014 Winter Games, being hosted in Muskoka.
“We’ll maybe take a break for a month then get right on organizing next year’s,” she said. “And we want everyone to know we’re always looking for new ideas to bring people in, new volunteers and new sponsors.”
Results from this year’s carnival events are as follows, but one special award was also presented this year to three-year-old Quinn Ingham, who tenaciously sawed through a piece of wood in 26 minutes and 30 seconds with out giving up, earning him the ‘Most Persistent Participant Award’.
Snow Sculpturing: 1. Karlee Cantin and Devon Kennedy; 2. Grace and Preston Ivason; 3. Hayden and Matthew Pedwell.
Bed races: Best bed design, Home Hardware; Most outrageous team, Royal Racing Realtors; Fastest time, Home Building Centre.
Nail driving contest: (ages 4-7) 1. Joel Ingham; Maya Simonovich; 3. Tyler Gidwalli. (Ages 8-11): 1. Breanna Pilger; 2. Ethan Cats; 3. Bryden Ingham. (Ages 12-17) 1. Lazlo Tasnadi; 2. Marcus Gray; 3. Sierra Drinkwater. (Ladies) 1. Lori Reynolds; 2. Baya Tasnadi; 3. Daniela Bayec. (Mens) 1. Duncan MacDonald; 2. Lee Zanello; 3. Chad Coady.
Wood sawing: (ages 4-11) 1. Matt Reynolds; 2. Bryden Ingham; 3. Kyle Kuzmyk. (Ages 12-17) 1. Marcus Gray; 2. Lazlo Tasnadi; 3. Jackson Miller. (Ladies) 1. Sherri Pilger; 2. Grace Colliton. (Mens) 1. Shane Ratcliffe; 2. Doug Bye; 3. Mike D’Ambrose.

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