Community Corner
Winter in July? Winterfest Planners Meet To Discuss Next Year's Event
Planning is already underway for Saline's Second Annual Winterfest.
Is the heat getting to you? Maybe it's time to think about something cool, like Saline Winterfest 2012.
The 2nd Annual Saline Winterfest will take place on Saturday, Jan. 28. Winterfest planners gathered July 6 to review the 2011 event and start chatting about the sequel.
Last year’s activities included an opening ceremony, 5K race, ice carving, ice dancing, hay rides to and from downtown and Henne Field, refreshments, a sled dog presentation and kids games featuring Detroit Lions mascot, Roary. The piece de resistance, however, was the Snowman Building Championship of the Free World, where dozens of Saline volunteers helped build hundreds of snowmen in just a couple hours. Saline came out on top, defeating St. Clair and Zeeland to capture "Frosty," the trophy awarded to the victor in the competition.
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“’Frosty’ has been making his way around Saline as a way to hype this event,” said Art Trapp, who is Saline’s Downtown Director and chairman of Winterfest. “I have asked other communities to join (the Snowman Building Championship of the Free World), but to date no one has accepted.”
The committee is considering adding many new elements in 2012, including more refreshments, a Winterfest King and Queen, pancake breakfast, broomball, card board sled races, celebrity autographs and more. Organizers might also tell t-shirts featuring the Winterfest logo, created last year by Bill Mangold.
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Trapp is looking for more volunteers to help plan the event and to work on the day of the event.
“Ideally, we need about twelve people on the planning committee to make things work,” he said.
Volunteers at the event could be coodinators, information booth helpers, warming station hosts, or especially sports team or youth groups on hand for snow removal at various venues.
"Having one Winterfest under our belt makes it a little easier, but it is still a very weather-related event," Trapp said.
The committee plans to meet again Aug, 11 and will continue to meet monthly until the event.
To find out more about getting involved in Winterfest, call Art Trapp at 734-429-4907.
