The town of Chester celebrates its annual Winter Carnivale on Sunday, Feb. 21 in Chester center – rain, snow, or shine.
The annual ice carving competition will take place from 10:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. in the parking lot behind 4 Water Street with judging shortly after. Spectators may vote for their favorite sculpture to win the “People’s Choice Award.” The “Chilly Chili Cook Off” will be held at the Chester Hose Company Fire House, 6 High Street, from 11:00 am to 1:00 p.m. All proceeds will be donated to the Chester Hose Company. Attendees can purchase tickets at the door for $5.00, which allows them to taste all the different chili recipes and vote for their favorite. And beginning at 2:00 p.m., festively decorated tractors will parade up and down Main Street in the annual Chester Tractor Parade. Iron Steed Awards will be awarded for the top three best decorated tractors.
All day, the stores, galleries, and restaurants through the center of Chester will have special sales and open house events. These will include free face painting, balloons and beads for children of all ages at Century 21 Heritage Company from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
sayWHAT?, the young classic rock and blues band with teenage locals Ian Meadows, Justus Doane, Dustin Meadows, and Ryan Newman, will perform from 12:30 to 1:30 at the Nilsson Studio & Gallery. Just coming off their second straight win at Valleypalooza’s Battle of the Bands, they are currently working on their album of original songs and have had a series of performances at the International Festival of Arts & Ideas in New Haven, SailFest, New London, B.O.M.B. Fest at Harkness, Chester’s EcoArts Festival, and The Webster Theatre, Hartford. They were recently selected to perform on CBS’s morning regional program, ‘Better Connecticut’ with Scott Haney.
The Hammered Edge Gallery – home of Carnivale masks and other masquerade wear – invites everyone to wear their Carnivale mask into the gallery to enter the drawing for a Fair Trade costume hat. The drawing will be at 3 p.m. and the winner must be present.
Food will be served up at galleries and restaurants, from a tasting of “Tutti Amici” olive oil at Ceramica to desserts at the Connecticut River Artisans and special food and drinks at Restaurant L&E and the French 75 Bar.
The galleries in town will be open for exhibit openings of original paintings, photographs of Chester artists as well as new work by New York artist Michelle DeMarco at eo art lab at 69 Main Street and photographs by Robert Wilkinson of Niantic at the Art Gallery at the Mill House at 5 West Main Street.
Free parking is available at the Maple Street and Water Street lots. For more information, check www.visit-chester.com or call Leif Nilsson at 860-526-2077.
Photo courtesy of Chester historical Society, and John Stack
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