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Colton gearing up for 2016 Winterfest Jan-29-31 with Art Around Town, ski, snowshoe and foot races

Posted 1/6/16

Members of the Colton-Pierrepont Central School Art Club, guided by their teacher Krystal Hewer, are painting a four-by-four foot barn quilt for the Nature Center at Higley Flow State Park, plus two …

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Colton gearing up for 2016 Winterfest Jan-29-31 with Art Around Town, ski, snowshoe and foot races

Posted

Members of the Colton-Pierrepont Central School Art Club, guided by their teacher Krystal Hewer, are painting a four-by-four foot barn quilt for the Nature Center at Higley Flow State Park, plus two murals to be displayed around town during Winterfest Weekend. Three of the painters – from left, Maura Richards, Hailey Friedel and Matilyn Lovely -- were putting on the finishing touches as Friends of Higley Flow State Park and Henry Sieg and Shari Wright of Higley Flow State Park look on.

COLTON -- The Town of Colton is gearing up for its annual Winterfest Weekend with indoor and outdoor activities Jan. 29 to 31.

The town’s Winterfest Planning Committee, chaired by Grace Hawley, has posted on the town’s website, www.townofcolton.com/winterfest.html, a preliminary schedule of activities being organized and supported by the town in conjunction with Colton-Pierrepont Central School plus many businesses and organizations.

A number of lead-up activities are underway. Forty Remembrance Trees sponsored by individuals, families and others have been lighted to honor loved ones. The trees are in two locations, near the Colton Museum on Main Street and at Three Falls Park in the hamlet of South Colton along State Rt. 56. One tree near the museum, sponsored by the town’s Tourism and Beautification Committee, was decorated by a Colton Fire Department crew in celebration of the fire department’s 100th anniversary.

Thirteen school Art Club students also are painting two murals to be displayed around town during the festival. The two designs, one by Destiny Gilbert and the other by Ariel Garvin, were selected through an online contest open to the school and larger community. Plus they are painting a barn quilt to be permanently installed on the new Nature Center at Higley Flow State Park.

Activities at the school during festival weekend will include basketball games on Friday night plus a pizza sale in the cafeteria after school, and the opening of the Art Around Town display. On Saturday the school-based activities include the annual health and craft fairs plus a chilifest, cookie decorating, and the ever-popular all-you-can-eat spaghetti dinner accompanied by music from area favorite Mary Ann Casale. Between sets the town’s Citizen of the Year award will be presented. On Sunday morning breakfast at the school will be followed by a hoop shoot and a presentation on the life of a wolf by the Adirondack Wildlife Refuge.

On Saturday the annual cross-country ski races for youth and adults at Higley Flow State Park are being dedicated to Rod Thomas who helped the park, school and community in many ways before his death in September. Also on Saturday there will be a new activity at Swift Field, Frosty’s Dash Snowshoe Race, for both youth and adults. Many other indoor and outdoor activities are planned including a 10-mile foot race, story hour for kids, a white elephant sale, the annual quilt show, recreational snowshoeing, beer tasting, ice skating, sleigh rides, a frying pan toss and more.

In addition to being a fun- and adventure-filled weekend, the festival benefits the Neighborhood Center serving Colton, Pierrepont and Parishville. People will be able to contribute through a silent auction at the Colton Methodist Church and a raffle for a 2x2 foot painted barn quilt at the Colton Town Hall. Also donation cans will be available during the “dinner with music” event on Saturday night at school, and the entry fees for the frying pan toss being held by AmVets Post 262 will be contributed to the Neighborhood Center.

To learn more about Winterfest check the schedule detailing days, times and locations of all planned activities on the town’s website (http://www.townofcolton.com/winterfest.html); and look for updates on the Town of Colton page on Facebook.

Posters will be going up in the Town of Colton and nearby communities during the next few weeks.

In the meantime Grace Hawley (262-2439) and Scott Muller (244-9956) can be reached to inquire about activities as well as support or assistance anyone would like to provide.