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VERY EXCITING DAY.
THIS IS THE DAY FOLKS IN THE TOWN OF DEER PARK LONG FOR.
NINE MONTHS IN THE MAKING.
THE LAST TWO MONTHS ARE OUR BUSIEST WITH THE WHOLE MONTH
OF DECEMBER IN MEETINGS EACH JANUARY FOR THE PAST 25 YEARS
THE TOWN HAS CELEBRATED WINTERFEST.
THIRD PLACE WILL JUST BE DONE, THEN ONE ON ONE.
A LOT HAS CHANGED.
BUT FOLKS STILL LINE THE FENCE FOR THE OUTHOUSE RACES.
A CONTEST WHERE TEAMS OF FIVE, A RIDER AND FOUR MUSHERS PUSH
AN OUTHOUSE ON SKIS.
THEIR STRATEGY?
JUST RUN AS FAST AS WE CAN IN THE SNOW.
WING IT.
THEY DO IT NOT ONLY FOR THE CASH PRIZE.
100 DOLLARS FOR FIRST, BUT FOR THE BRAGGING RIGHTS OF BEING
NUMBER ONE.
IT'S THE RIDER, IT'S ALL THE RIDER.
ON YOUR MARK GET SET GO AFTER TWO HEATS, IT WAS THIS TEAM
THAT CLAIMED VICTORY FOR THE THIRD YEAR IN A ROW.
THIS CROWD PLEASING EVENT, LIKE SO MUCH OF WINTERFEST
WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE WITHOUT VOLUNTEERS.
VOLUNTEERS LIKE CORDELIA JEFFERY.
OUTHOUSE RACES HAVE BEEN KIND OF MY BABY FOR THE LAST 3
YEARS.
SHE'S ONE OF COUNTLESS PEOPLE WHO MAKE WINTERFEST HAPPEN.
ALL DEPENDS ON VOLUNTEERS.
SUSAN COOPER WAS PART OF THE GROUP THAT LAUNCHED THE
WINTERFEST.
THERE WERE ABOUT 10-12 OF US IN THE BEGINNING.
THE ORIGINAL INTENT WAS TO BRING FUN TO DEER PARK TO GET
COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT AND HELP BUSINESSES OUT FINANCIALLY,
AND ALSO MAKE DEER PARK A DESTINATION.
LOOKING BACK YOU CAN SEE HOW FAR IT'S COME.
ISN'T THE FABULOUS?
THAT'S THE DOGSLED RACES THAT WAS 1988.
THE DOG SLED RACES ARE GONE.
SO ARE THE SNOWMOBILE RACES.
AND THE EVENT IS NOW ONE DAY INSTEAD OF THREE.
BUT SPIRIT OF THIS COMMUNITY EVENT IS ALIVE AND WELL IN
COMPETITIONS LIKE BROOMBALL.
BROOMBALL WAS INVENTED IN THE BEGINNING BECAUSE WE HAD A LOT
OF JR. HIGH KIDS, A LOT OF BOYS AND WE WANTED SOMETHING
FUN FOR THEM TO DO.
GO JEFF GO.
LIKE SO MUCH OF WINTERFEST THIS EVENT HAS EVOLVED.
IT'S BEEN PLAYED ON ICE, ON DIRT, AND THIS YEAR A SNOWY
PARKING LOT.
GET IS SHANE GET IT, SHOT.
BROOMBALL IS SIMILAR TO HOCKEY.
A BROOM WITH DUCT TAPE REPLACES THE TRADITIONAL
HOCKEY STICK AND INSTEAD OF A PUCK THERE'S A BALL.
IT'S A WHIRL WIND OF SLIPPING, SLIDING AND SHOOTING.
WITH SPECTATORS HAVING ABOUT AS MUCH FUN AS PLAYERS.
GET IN THERE, GET IN THERE.
TEAMS PLAY IN FOUR MINUTES HALVES, WHICH ALMOST SEEMS TO
SKATE BY.
OKAY TIME.
WINTERFEST'S HISTORY IS DOCUMENTED IN A SCRAPBOOK ON
DISPLAY AT THE COMMUNITY ARTS CENTER AND IN THE SWEATSHIRTS
THAT HANG FROM THE RAFTERS.
EACH ONE BARES A DIFFERENT LOGO CREATED BY SOMEONE IN THE
COMMUNITY.
PART OF THE FABRIC OF THIS EVENT, BRINGING TOGETHER THE
OLD AND THE NEW.
WE'RE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR NEW IDEAS.
ANYTHING THAT DEALS WITH WINTER THAT IS FUN.
SO WHAT'S WHAT IN STORE FOR WINTERFEST IN THE YEARS TO
COME?
I'D LOVE TO SEE SOMETHING ELECTRONIC COME IN, AS
TECHNOLOGY CHANGES.
BUT THAT'S FOR THE NEXT GENERATION TO DECIDE.
A GENERATION THAT HAS GROWN UP ON WINTERFEST.
THE PARENTS THAT ARE COMING NOW THAT PARTICIPATED THE
EVENTS AND ARE BRINGING THEIR CHILDREN.
WHEN THE SUN BEGINS TO SET FAMILIES GATHER FOR THE
TRADITIONAL BONFIRE.
THE MASSIVE BLAZE IS FUELED BY OLD CHRISTMAS TREES AND
CAREFULLY CONTROLLED BY THE DEER PARK FIRE DEPARTMENT.
AS THE FLAMES DIE DOWN THE CROWD LINGERS FOR THE GRAND
FINALE.
THE PERFECT END TO A DAY IN THE SNOW.
AND A CHANCE FOR ORGANIZERS TO STAND BACK AND TAKE IT ALL IN.
IT'S TOTALLY WORTH IT THE KIDS HAVE A GREAT TIME THE TOWN
REALLY ENJOYS IT.
IN A FEW MONTHS THE TORCH WILL BE PASSED TO A NEW GROUP OF
VOLUNTEERS TAKING THIS WINTER CELEBRATION INTO THE NEXT 25
YEARS.
I DON'T SEE IT ENDING.