Colton Winter Fun Coming Up
COLTON - The calendar is ready to turn to February, which can only mean one thing in the town of Colton - its Winterfest Weekend.
But the talk of the town has shifted as many are wondering whether Mother Nature will put a damper on the 14th annual festival.
"Unfortunately the weather hasn't been too cooperative for some of our activities," Colton Town Supervisor Lawrence C. Patzwald said.
Already Sunday's Highley Hustle Ski Festival and ski lessons given by the St. Lawrence University team have been cancelled after the warm temperatures and rain earlier this week wreaked havoc on the course. Organizers have also been forced to ditch snowshoeing for hiking due to the lack of snow.
Still, Mr. Patzwald said there is plenty to look forward to this weekend.
The town plans to use the festival as a platform to unveil a series of new projects, he said.
A draft map will be on display at the high school depicting the entire town, including details of the hamlet of South Colton and a regional view of the town.
Residents can also get their first glimpse of a proposed lodge at Higley Flow State Park with a model on display at the high school.
The town is also working to design a new parking area at the corner of state Highway 56 and Main Street.
Architectural renderings of the parking area area being developed for the town by Northeastern Sign Corporation, South Colton, will also be on display at the school.
"This is a new twist on Winterfest," Tourism and Beautification Coordinator Ruth T. McWilliams said. "The town wants to use it as a new way to get projects and really help them better understand what is going on."
But it won't be all business. Residents can get in the winter mood tonight when the festivities kick-off iat 7 p.m. with a showing of the movie "Jack Frost" in the Colton-Pierrepont Central School auditorium at 7 p.m.
The festival will pick-up again on Saturday morning with the traditional pancake breakfast at the High Falls Masonic Temple on Main Street.
The fun continues on Saturday when as many as 30 artists and vendors tout their products in the Colton-Pierrepont gymnasium. There will also be a health fair with free blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar screenings.
The always popular spaghetti dinner at the Colton-Pierrepont cafeteria will follow along with a concert by the eclectic rock band Hollowbodies. Proceeds from many of the activities will benefit a local food pantry.
The festival will continue Sunday with a second pancake breakfast, sleigh and dog rides, as well as a foul shooting contest among a host of other events.
A quilt show Saturday and Sunday has also been added to the schedule. Organizers are touting it as one of the largest shows in the area with quilts from all around the north country, covering many generations.
Perhaps the most important aspect to the festival is its ability to draw the community together, Mr. Patzwald said.
"One of the greatest things it does, what I've seen over the years, is that we get out to see our neighbors who we haven't seen for weeks, maybe months," the supervisor said.
A full list of events can be found online at the town website, townofcolton.com .
