By MAUREEN PICHE

BRASHER FALLS – The Tri-Town Winter Carnival will once again give three communities the chance to come together to celebrate indoor and outdoor winter fun Thursday, Feb. 17 through Sunday, Feb. 20.

A 2011 Tri-Town Winter Carnival Button will get you into all of the events, including a parade, fireworks, and turkey bowling.

“This is a real big event for this area,” said carnival chairperson Allen Fukes. “It started in 1966 with just a parade and a couple other things, but over the years, it’s grown to where, if you look at the schedule, there’s hardly any space to fit anything more in.”

Opening ceremonies are scheduled for 6 p.m. Thursday at the American Legion in Winthrop, where the Winter Carnival Royalty will be announced. There will also be cocktails followed by dinner at 7 p.m. The entertainment for the evening includes ventriloquist Sylvia and the Magic Trunk at 8 p.m. and DJ Wendy Crump from 7 to 11 p.m.

Earlier Thursday, the snow sculpting contest judging will begin at noon, and there will be a Snowbaby Contest from 4 to 6 p.m.

Friday, features a spaghetti dinner at the American Legion from 4 to 7 p.m., a talent show sponsored by the St. Lawrence Central Spanish and Yearbook clubs from 6 to 8 p.m. at the elementary school, and fireworks at 8:30 p.m. in the school soccer field.

On Saturday, there will be a poker ski and snowshoe run at the Brasher State Forest, Vice Road, an Indoor Yard and Bake Sale at the municipal building in Winthrop continuing on Sunday, a snowmobile family fun run, and Snowflake Craft Fair and cake auction at the American Legion.

The parade lines up at 10 a.m. at the elementary school and it begins at 11 a.m. Throughout the day on Saturday, there will be a volleyball tournament and bed races at the Pit Stop Pub in Winthrop; the Kid’s Zone at the elementary school from 1 to 5 p.m. featuring Sylvia and the Magic Trunk and Mark Manske’s Birds of Prey, crafts, music and bounce houses; and turkey bowling at Erin’s Isle.

On Sunday, the morning starts with a pancake breakfast at the American Legion, a kickball tournament at the North Lawrence baseball field, and tug-of-war, bed races, wheelbarrow races and frying pan throwing at the Helena General Store.

A Chinese Auction will be held at Erin’s Isle, along with a card party and kids’ corndog eating contest.

The closing ceremony with dinner will begin at 5 p.m. at Erin’s Isle.