The Herald-Courier

Arcade Winterfest prepares to celebrate 50th Anniversary with community

Annual festival scheduled for Feb. 11-13 planning for ‘live’ event


“We are excited to be the only event in Arcade, and to continue annually for so long,” Lissa Landahl, co-chairman of Arcade Winterfest said following a recent committee meeting. “We are happy to be able to hold a ‘live’ event once again this year, especially for the 50th anniversary. And we are looking forward to seeing everyone come out and enjoy all the activities.”

The Arcade Winterfest Committee, chaired by Landahl, Todd Jones and Ashley Noeson, have been working for months on preparations for this year’s annual winter festival, making sure the community’s favorite events are included, and even brining back some activities and contests from earlier years.

Arcade Winterfest is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2022, which will be held the second weekend in February – Friday the 11th through Sunday the 13th.  In 2021, Arcade Winterfest held a scaled back version of the annual winter event – Arcade Winterfest 49.5 – with just a handful of events due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The 50th Anniversary Winterfest will not be scaled back and the Committee is planning for live events, including the Winterfest Royalty Pageant, with an audience. The Committee will adjust due to the pandemic if necessary. The Committee is also asking the public to respect the policies in place at the businesses and school facilities that are hosting activities and participating in events; masks are required to be worn by everyone inside of the elementary school, which will be the site for the Arts & Crafts Show, entertainment and more.

In addition to the annual Arts & Crafts Show and the Winterfest Royalty Pageant, there will also be a parade, horseshoe tournament, 5K walk/race, scavenger hunt, dance, student art show, chili cook-off, and much more. The Cardboard Box Sled race also returns this year and will once again be held at the sledding hill at the Village Park. This event will now include a category for adults. The Pageant will begin at an earlier time this year, at 6:30 p.m. with doors opening at 6 p.m.

A fireworks show celebrating Arcade Winterfest’s 50th Anniversary will begin at 9:15 p.m. on the night of Friday, Feb. 11. The fireworks will be shot off in the Arcade Village Park. The Horseshoes, Hockey and Softball Tournaments will also take place at the park during the festival. Other activities and games will be held at the park, and a food truck will be set up on Saturday.

Returning to the 50th anniversary Winterfest will be a community-favorite from previous years: the bed races. These will be held Saturday morning on Main Street. Another event returning in 2022 is the Ladies Luncheon. This event reboot will be a “Just For Girlfriends!” party taking place from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. at Turkey Run Countyr Club and includes a buffet lunch and a unique shopping experience with Paparazzi Jewelry and Bee’s Boutique.

Signs of Winterfest approaching should soon be visible throughout the community. With the recent snowfall, the community is able to start work on their creations for the Snow Sculpture Contest, and businesses in the village can start decorating their windows for the Downtown Business Window Decorating Contest. Posters will be popping up at businesses, and placemats will be distributed to local restaurants complete with the 2022 schedule of events. These placemats also recognize local businesses that sponsor this year’s Winterfest.

At the start of the New Year, the Arcade Historical Society began a series of Facebook posts for the 50th Anniversary, which will include Winterfest facts and photos from their collection and notes assembled by Historian Jeff Mason.

The Arcade Herald, with the help of Historian Jeff Mason, is working on a special preview publication that will feature the history of Arcade Winterfest, as well as photos from past festivals and also more information on this year’s event.

For more information on Arcade Winterfest’s 50th Anniversary, including a complete list of this year’s activities, event registration forms, event chair contact information, and more, as well as updates throughout the festival’s weekend, visit the Arcade Winterfest Facebook page.

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