With the highly anticipated Northport Winter Carnival set to return Saturday at Braman Hill from noon to 4 p.m., community members have been busy preparing for the family-friendly event.
On Friday, people gathered at Northport Public School for a sled workshop to prepare for one of the carnival’s activities: a cardboard sled contest. Katie Frank, a senior at Northport Public School, said she previously made a sled for the winter carnival when she was in second grade and went with her family. For this year’s event, Frank’s cardboard sled design is inspired from the one she made as a child, with Frank adding that she was happy to just have the chance to attend the beloved carnival again.
“I’m so excited and I’m so grateful that they’re doing this again because it was such a core memory for me when I was younger,” Frank said. “I have siblings also coming up (to the event).”
Milk jug curling, where the person with the highest score after four rounds wins, as well as a broomball tournament for the “golden broom” prize and bragging rights, begins at noon. The cardboard sled contest starts at 12:15 p.m., while the chili cook-off, which includes four categories like traditional, veggie, white, and wild game, will be ongoing from 12-3 p.m. Soon after the voting for the chili closes at 3 p.m., the winner and prizes will be announced.
New on the list of activities is the Braman Bolt: Race the face, which begins at 1:30 p.m. at the bottom of Braman Hill. Sawyer Scott, who puts on the annual Bay to Braman Bolt, is helping to set up the modified race. All ages are welcome to participate in the foot race from the bottom of the hill to the top.
In addition to the bigger events set, there will be various kids activities, hot dogs and chips, s’mores, hot cocoa and the warming hut available all day, as well as an open skate area, hockey, outdoor heaters, yard games, and sledding. Live music by Will Kayuk is set for 2 p.m., and the band Local Riff Raff will play at 3 p.m.
Erin Connolly, along with a number of Northport residents that met every week since the beginning of January, helped coordinate carnival activities and logistics. Connolly said the event is free, but they will be accepting donations to benefit participating school groups such as the Northport school honor society, Northport Promise, and LIFT Teen Center.
“Our sponsors throughout town have really stepped up and funded this for the community. People missed it, and they’ve been wanting to get involved,” Connolly said. “I think this particular event in Northport is really special because it is actually focused on locals and not necessarily on tourists or vacationers. It is full-on for the people who live in this area and the township and the village. I think it kind of speaks to the heart of the community… It’s been amazing how many people are involved in some way or another.”
Elizabeth Rutila, another event organizer, said she attended the carnival before it was canceled in 2019, but never helped put it together. This year, Rutila and her partner, Josh, will not only be helping with the event, but they’ll be taking their daughter, Sophia, for her first time, too.
“It’s a really nice thing as a community. We’re making this free and available and we’re not charging entries for anything,” Rutila said. “So we’re going to donate whatever we raise… but I think the community has really come together.”
Bonnie Shiner has been involved in helping to coordinate the Northport Winter Carnival in year’s past, whether it was in organizing getting the hot dogs together or with the chili cookoff . This year, she said it’s just great to pass the baton to the next generation and to utilize the Braman Hill facilities and amenities.
“Braman Hill is amazing, and we finally have a real winter with snow. So I certainly played on that hill, all the while growing up, so it means a lot — my kids did, and I’m happy to have the next generation out there having fun,” Shiner said. “I just like to see people come to our town and enjoy Northport. I like to have it be the middle of the event and look around and just see everybody smiling and getting out there. We all need that connection… Cure for cabin fever.”
To learn more, volunteer, or register for carnival activities, go to https://sites.google.com/ view/carnivalreg/home.
