Deer Park celebrates Winterfest

DEER PARK – It’s the time of year when Christine Cook jokes about doing a snow dance to guarantee a wintery weekend.

That’s because the 24th annual Winterfest in Deer Park is coming Jan. 19 and 20.

“It’s just a great reviver for people in the Deer Park area,” Cook, the committee chairwoman of the festival, said. “And it boosts the merchant businesses in January.”

Organized by the Deer Park Kiwanis, the event celebrates winter with two days of both indoor and outdoor activities, some of which are not known for being winter activities, such as the softball tournament.

Cook said the tournament used to be played in snowshoes, but worries about liability changed the rules of the game.

The tournament will be held on the west side of Perrins Field, across the street from City Hall on the corner of Crawford and Main Street.

Another perennial festival favorite is the Frostbite 5K run.

Runners willing to run through frosty weather for a little more than 3 miles can do so for $20 if they want a T-shirt, or $7 if they just enjoy running in the cold. Students can register for $18 for the run with a T-shirt and $5 for just the run and bragging rights.

There is also a snow treasure hunt in Perrins Field. Participants must bring a shovel and a metal detector to search for coins and wadded up pieces of pop cans.

Probably one of the most unusual activities at the Winterfest is the annual Outhouse race, where teams of five people push wooden structures that look like outhouses mounted on skis. The races are run two outhouses at a time and there are several heats to determine the winner.

“There are four pushers and somebody riding in the catbird seat,” Cook said.

Cook is hoping for a lot of snowy weather in the next week or so, since the races might be canceled if there isn’t enough snow on the ground.

Another outdoor activity is the broomball on snow tournament. Much like hockey, teams carry small brooms to get a ball through a goal.

For those still braving the weather after these outdoor events, there also will be a vintage snowmobile show outside of City Hall on Crawford Street.

One of the few events to take place both days of the festival is the Winter Delight Quilt Show in the Deer Park School Administration Building, 428 N. Main St. Cook said that the show only takes place every two years, to give quilters time to make new quilts.

The show will include over 100 quilts from quilters throughout the area, demonstrations of quilting techniques and quilts for sale. Raffle tickets will be sold for $1 to win “The Double Delight,” a reversible quilt. The drawing won’t be held until May 6.

The quilt show raises funds for “Dollars for Scholars,” a scholarship program that benefits students in the Deer Park area.

In addition, there will be an art show and sale in City Hall, children’s activities and a magic show in the Civic Center, a karaoke contest and a bake sale in the Civic Center, a craft fair in the Senior Center and a used book sale in the Deer Park Library.

“By Sunday evening we’ll all be worn out,” Cook said.

But not before the giant community bonfire Saturday night on the east end of Perrins Field.

Members of the community donate their dried up, used Christmas trees as fuel for the fire, under the supervision of Spokane County Fire District 4.

Snow that has been plowed from the streets in the area will be piled up for a giant snow hill for the kids, and there will be a community dance in the Civic Center featuring the Men of Rhythm playing big band music.

Perhaps the highlight of the festival will be fireworks at 6 p.m. in Perrins Field.

There are nominal fees for different activities during the festival, and most of the money raised is put into a Winterfest fund to keep the tradition going for next year. Cook said that the event is meant to be self-sustaining, although Kiwanis fundraisers throughout the year raise more funds.

Winterfest is also known for honoring a citizen of Deer Park for his or her community service throughout the year. This year’s Winterfest Honored Citizen is Cordelia Jeffrey for her volunteer work as the event coordinator for Winterfest on Ice in 2007. Jeffrey designed entry applications and helped with the outhouse race and broomball planning.

Jeffrey, the office manager of the Deer Park Chamber of Commerce, also helped with the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at City Hall, and the 2007 Pumpkin Lane.

“She is so organized,” Cook said.