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News Feature

The Island
Originally published in Island Ad-Vantages, January 24, 2013
Winterfest a “huge success”

Winterfest 2013

Mink, the mailboat to Isle au Haut, all dressed up.

Photo courtesy Bobbi Billings

Lorraine Knowlton, left, and Tootie Varisco offered Winterfest attendees the chance to grow a Narcissus paperwhite in a cup

Photo by Mark Robinson

Angel Lucas sports a balloon mouse face.

Photo by Mark Robinson

Manda Boyce, owner of the custom hoop business Twirl Hoops, demonstrates the finer art of hula hooping.

Photo by Mark Robinson

Mink captain Garrett Aldrich, left, gives the camera a smile as his daughter, Iris, holds the top of the trophy awarded for first place in the first ever Parade of Lights. At right is Robbie Gray, captain of Kathy Kass II.

Photo by Bobbi Billings

Carol Collins offers sleigh rides with the help of her horse, Ginger.

Photo by Mark Robinson

by Jessica Brophy

While snow on Saturday morning meant a slow start to festivities for the day, Winterfest organizer Barrett Gray said the event was a “huge success” and that he couldn’t have asked for a better weekend.

As usual, the fireworks were a big hit. Gray called them “spectacular,” noting that the company who arranged the fireworks had to pack up and head directly for Foxborough, Mass., to do a fireworks show for the Patriots game the following day.

“There was a huge crowd for the fireworks, and the Island Rec Board bonfire was well attended,” said Gray.

While the new event “The Parade of Lights” only attracted two boats, Gray said people seemed very much to enjoy them. The two participating boats were the Kathy Kass II, owned by Robbie Gray, and Mink, the Isle au Haut Mailboat, captained by Garrett Aldrich. The two tied for first place and will share bragging rights (and the four-foot trophy) until next year.

“We’re definitely going to keep this as part of Winterfest,” said Holly Eaton of Penobscot East Resource Center. Penobscot East organized the event. Eaton said it’s one of the first events in a series to celebrate the organization’s 10th anniversary. “We’ve had a lot of positive feedback, and I think barring a blizzard we’ll see more boats next year.”

This year’s cribbage tournament champ was Karen Galella. Galella also won first place in the pet photo contest for dogs. Andrea Kunkel took first for the cat category and Liz Perez took the “other” category with a dashing photo of a chicken in a Santa hat.

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