‘Oz’-themed Whitefish Winter Carnival Approaches
With carnival kickoff slated for Saturday, this year’s theme is “There’s Snow Place Like Home," a wintery twist on the "Wizard of Oz"
By Mike Kordenbrock
The 66th Whitefish Winter Carnival kicks off next week, marking the beginning of a roughly month-long celebration intended to bring a festive mood amid the sometimes dark and dreary depths of winter.
This year’s theme, “There’s Snow Place Like Home,” is a nod to the “The Wizard of Oz,” a movie motif the Winter Carnival website accentuates is accompanied with turns-of-phrases like, “Yetis, Penguins & Divas, Oh My!”
Carnival season officially kicks off Jan. 11 with The Merrymaker, a roast at The Moose Lodge for which tickets have already sold out. The coronation of King Ullr and the Queen of the Snows is scheduled for Jan. 17 at 7 p.m. at the O’Shaughnessy Center, after which the annual Disco Party will start at The Great Northern Bar at 9 p.m. The Disco Party is a 21 and up event, with a $15 cover, which includes a carnival button. Prizes will be issued for best costume.
Prince Frey and Princess Freya will be crowned at Whitefish High School at 7 p.m. on Jan. 23 between the boys and girls varsity basketball games. On Jan. 26, the Slopeside Selfie Scavenger Hunt organized in coordination with Sotheby’s will kick off at Whitefish Mountain Resort. Participants in the mountain-wide scavenger hunt can submit selfies with all the banners for a chance to win prizes.
Beer Curling, which was canceled last year due to warm weather, is set to make its Winter Carnival debut this year at the Great Northern Bar beginning on Feb. 7. The tournament is open to teams of four, with a $100 entry fee and cash prizes for the top three teams. Beer Curling will go from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 and from 12 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Feb. 8.
The carnival gala, which includes no-host cocktails, a silent auction and raffle and dinner, is planned to start at 6 p.m. on Feb. 7 at the Whitefish Lake Restaurant. Online only ticket sales start Jan. 20 at 10 a.m. and tickets are $100.
On Feb. 8 at 3 p.m., The Grand Parade will kick off in downtown Whitefish, followed by the post-parade social at the Firebrand Hotel. Before the parade, the day gets started with the Penguin Plunge at Whitefish Lake and the Pie Social at St. Charles Parish.
On Feb. 8, the Penguin Plunge at City Beach is scheduled for 11 a.m. As of Jan. 3, 15 teams composed of 82 total people had registered, with $4,649 already raised through 75 donations. This year’s fundraising goal is $90,000. The Penguin Plunge raises money annually for the Special Olympics of Montana.
The pie social, which will feature homemade pie and coffee for sale, will go from 12:30 p.m. to 3 p.m. at St. Charles Parish.
The carnival winds down on Feb. 9 at the Moose Lodge with the Rotary Club Pancake Breakfast from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
For more information, go to https://www.whitefishwintercarnival.com/.