
Cooperstown Winter Carnival
2018 Winter Carnival Schedule

Throughout the Weekend
Village of Poems | Main St | Check out winter poems by Cooperstown Elementary School students
Make & Take Crafts | Village Library of Cooperstown | 22 Main St | (Fri 9 am - 5 pm, Sat 9 – 1 pm, Sun 1 – 4 pm) Come out of the cold and put your creative juices to work! (ages 4-10)
Fudge Tasting Flurry | Tin-Bin Alley | 114 Main St | Fudge tastings all weekend long
Snow Escape Specials | Cooperstown Escape Rooms | Corner of Main & Pioneer | Make your reservation at cooperstownescaperooms.com and use the code “snowflake” for ½ price Winter Carnival discount!
Cross-Country Jingle Ski | The Otesaga | 60 Lake St | Glide along a groomed trail leaving from the Otesaga lawn and winding out onto the Leatherstocking Golf Course, overlooking beautiful Otsego Lake. Strap on your favorite cross-country skis and attach complementary jingle bells to your ski poles, picked up after 11 Saturday at the Hawkeye, and outside the Hawkeye after hours all weekend. Enjoy a warming beverage at the Fire & Ice Bar, or the Hawkeye, when you return!
Fly the Coop Winter Carnival Chicken Wing Trail! | Warm-up with Winter Carnival chicken wing/beverage specials at Alex’s Bistro, Cooley’s, Cooperstown Beverage Exchange, the Doubleday Cafe, Mel’s at 22, the Pit, Sal’s Pizza, Upstate Bar & Grill.
Star Wars & Lego Discounts! | Stone House Toys | 51 Pioneer Street | 10% off all Star Wars and LEGO items all Carnival Weekend.
Bourbon Tasting | Cooperstown Beverage Exchange | 73 Main St
Ice Skating | Badger Park | Fresh air and fun! Strap on some skates (limited supply of skates available to borrow at the skating hut) and enjoy this wonderful park’s well-maintained ice rink! Friday - 3 - 7 pm - Mixed use (family/open skating on ⅔ rink, hockey on ⅓ rink). Saturday & Sunday: 10 am – noon family/open skating; 12:30 to 6:30 pm mixed use skating (family/open skating on ⅔ or rink, hockey on ⅓ of rink).
Open Swim, Yoga, Group Fitness Programs | Clark Sports Center | 124 County Highway 52 | Visit clarkssportscenter.com for schedules and fees.
Cooperstown Lions Club 50/50 Raffle | Get your raffle tickets while they last. Purchase tickets in advance from a Cooperstown Lion, or at Lions Pancake Breakfast, or selected WC events. All proceeds to benefit Cooperstown Lions Sight and Community Service Fund. Raffle winner(s) will be announced at the Cooperstown Distillery Sunday along with photo contest & medallion. Need not be present to win.
Friday, February 9th
11 am - 2 pm - Soup R’ Chili Luncheon | First Baptist Church | 21 Elm St | Enjoy homemade chili or soup to warm your body and soul. Gather with friends and neighbors in the fellowship hall or take some to-go for later. All you can eat soup, breads, drink, and tasty desserts included. Breads, drink, and tasty desserts included. Donations support ongoing ministries.
4 - 6 pm - Rural Resonance | Art Garage | 689 Beaver Meadow Road | The Art Garage is joining the area’s winter activities with a rare, off-season show, Rural Resonance. The exhibition will feature three established artists: Tracy Helgeson, Alice Hudson and Lavern Kelley, all with works in museums--as well as in many private collections. Helgeson will exhibit paintings new to The Art Garage, that celebrate and interpret a panoply of rural sights: a girl decked out for her prom, chickens and sheep, trees and barns and fields. Hudson will exhibit small, shadow-box-like constructions, stories without words—all created in Norwich. Oneonta self-taught artist Kelley will be showing multiple mediums; drawings created in the mid-20th century that record farm life of the era; a selection of carved trucks and remarkable composed photographs; and even a painting. The new book, Lavern Kelley: Farmer Artist, will be available, also matted photographs, and note cards of his iconic drawings.
4:30 - 7 pm | Ignite the Night! | Pioneer Park | Welcome by Jeff Katz, Mayor of Cooperstown, followed by Jim Donley, President of the Cooperstown Lions Club. Grab a cup of hot cider (compliments of the Fly Creek Cider Mill). Pick-up a list of events, sales, and dining and drink specials. Stroll around town, grab a bite to eat, and meet-up with friends and neighbors. Take time to browse the windows at our local businesses, which have posted Winter Poetry poems written by our creative elementary students.
4:30 - 6:30 pm | Brooks Chicken BBQ Dinner to Benefit the Susquehanna Animal Shelter | Christ Episcopal Church Parish Hall | 69 Fair St | Dinners include Brooks BBQ chicken half, potato, rolls, butter, salad and dessert ($10). Eat in or have it packaged “to go,” all for a great cause! When done - head over to the Otesaga Templeton Lounge (fireplace and wine bar) and join us for a fun night of Trivia Contest.
6 pm | Winter Carnival Bowling Tournament | Clark Sports Center | 124 County Highway 52 | Open to member and non-member teams of 1 adult and 1 child (2nd grade and above) ($3 members or $6 non-members). Sign up in the CSC Bowling Alley or by calling (607) 547-2800 x108. Extend your gym stay with a family swim in the newly designed aquatics center! (fee for non-members.)
6:45 - 9 pm | Cabin Fever Family Movie Night | Village Hall Ballroom | 22 Main St | Doors open at 6:30 pm.
6:45 | Animated Film Short Taking the Plunge | Enjoy this animated short film, presented by the Indie Street Film Festival (indiestreetfilmfestival.org.) The film is sure to please all ages with its beach setting, action-packed adventure, and ultimate love story.
7 pm | Brave | Come watch Princess Merida in the Disney Pixar animated film Brave (2012,PG). In this contemporary fairy tale set in medieval Scotland, Merida defies custom when she finds out her marriage has been arranged and uses magic, archery, and sheer will to set her own course.
7 pm | Cooperstown Candlelight Ghost Tour | Pioneer Park | Call (607)547-8070 to reserve spots on this highly entertaining and historic tour. If you have never done this it’s a great event! ($10 adults, $5 children, kids under 5 free)
7 - 9 pm | It’s Trivia Time! | Hawkeye Bar & Grille | Otesaga Resort | 60 Lake St | Grab a group or just stop over and join a table in the Templeton Room on the ground level of the Otesaga, where the fireplace will be roaring beverages and snacks will be available (for a fee.) Trivia Time will be a blast with lots of laughs! When done, bundle-up and head out to the “Fire and Ice” bar for a cool night out!
9 pm | Grit N Grace | Upstate Grill | 5418 State Highway 28 | Dance the night away to music provided by this highly acclaimed Country/Rock Band band (must be 21+.)
Saturday, February 10th
8 - 11:30 am | It’s Pancake Time!, Lions Club Pancake Breakfast | Cooperstown Veterans’ Club | 60 Main St | Start your day with delicious pancakes (gluten free, chocolate chip, blueberry or traditional), scrambled eggs, sausage, applesauce, coffee, tea and local maple syrup (provided by Otsego County Maple Producers). Adults $9, children 6-12 $5, children 5 and under free. Sponsored by the Cooperstown Lions Club with assistance from the Leo Club. Come out and support this amazing organization that does so much for our community!
9 am | Winter Carnival Bowling Tournament | Clark Sports Center | 124 County Highway 52 | Open to member and non-member teams of 1 adult and 1 child (2nd grade and above) ($3 members or $6 non-members). Sign up in the CSC Bowling Alley or by calling (607) 547-2800 x108. Extend your gym stay with a family swim in the newly designed aquatics center! (fee for non-members)
9 am - 5 pm | Winter Book Sale | Village Board/Meeting Room | 22 Main St | Benefits the Village Library
9 am - Noon | Cooperstown Fire Department Local Heroes! | Cooperstown Fire Hall | 25 Chestnut Street | Come to the Cooperstown Fire Dept. for a morning of excitement and fun. Put out a “real” fire, tour the fire trucks, learn some skills, watch some exciting demonstrations, and learn about the LOCAL HEROES who keep our community safe! Fun for kids of all ages!
10 am - 2 pm | Farmers’ Market | 101 Main St/Pioneer Alley | Local products and live music.
10 am - Noon | Community Art Days: The Science of Art | Farmers' Museum | 5775 State Highway 80 | Drop in the Louis C. Jones Center to create and learn for free! Expand your minds with this series of science-based art projects designed to amaze and delight! Make a camera obscura to learn how a camera – and your eyes – see the world! Make simple and effective optical illusions on paper to amaze your friends! Create color spinners to learn how they mix, and other fun activities!
10 am - 5 pm | Kate’s Upstate | 134 Main St | Carnival special featuring Karen Katz Studio Trunk Show and a generous 15% discount for any store item purchased during Winter Carnival!
10:30 am Registration for 11:30 am Start | 46th Annual Bob Smullens 5k/10k Run | Cooper Park | The kick-off race for the Second Annual Frozen Toes Race Series! Wear your favorite Winter Carnival pin and get out and enjoy the winter scenery during this iconic Cooperstown Run. Pre-register at itsyourrace.com, or visit clarksportscenter.com for pre-registration, day-of registration and race bag pick-up information. $20 per person, $50 per family (max 5).
11 am - 2 pm | Soup R’ Chili Luncheon | First Baptist Church | 21 Elm St | Enjoy homemade chili or soup to warm your body and soul. Gather with friends and neighbors in the Church Hall or take some to-go for later. All you can eat soup, breads, drink, and tasty desserts included. $8 per person, $4 kids 4-11, proceeds support ongoing ministries.
11 am - 4 pm | The 2018 Fenimore Quilt Club Show | Cooperstown Art Association | 22 Main St | Need a break from the cold? Warm up with a visit to the 28th Annual Fenimore Quilt Club Show! This highly anticipated exhibit showcases a diverse array of about one hundred quilts and quilted items in both traditional and contemporary designs. Members of the Fenimore Quilt Club will be present to demonstrate quilting techniques and to answer questions about their craft. Quilt Show will remain open through February 25, daily 11:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
1 pm | Cooperstown Candlelight Ghost Tour | Pioneer Park | Call (607)547-8070 to reserve spots on this highly entertaining and historic tour. If you have never done this it’s a great event!
1 - 4 pm | A Blizzard of Family Fun! | Lakefront Park | The Winter Carnival’s signature family-friendly event! Put away the phone, turn off the screen, and come enjoy several outdoor activities designed to make Winter Carnival memories.
-
Try a variety of games and fun activities in the warming tent - Games and activities coordinated by our friends at the Brookwood School!
-
Roast marshmallows over an outdoor fire pit for roasting marshmallows
-
“Take a ride on the Wild Side” on inflatable tubes and sleds shaped like sharks and flamingos. The first 20 kids participating will receive a coupon for a free piece of delicious fudge donated by Tin-Bin Alley!
-
Hop on a horse-drawn wagon rides and hand-led pony rides
-
Enjoy Jax Wax demonstrations
-
Visit with the Hill City Snow Queen and her friend Anna. They will be arriving at Lakefront Park around 2:30 and around 3:30 kids can join the Hill City Snow Queen on a wagon ride to the Tunnicliff Inn for complimentary hot chocolate and a photo with the Snow Queen (bring your camera).
4 - 5:30 pm | Children’s Trivia & Hot Chocolate Bar at the Tunnicliff Inn | 34 Pioneer St | Enjoy a free cup of hot chocolate from the Hot Chocolate Bar, grab a seat, and join in the free kids’ trivia event! Laugh along as we try to answer questions about kids’ movies, current kid events, and other kid-trivia. It will wraps up around 5:30 pm so everyone can enjoy the fireworks over Otsego Lake at 6 pm!
In conjunction with this event there will also be fun activities for the younger kids. These include Pin the Nose on Olaf, Olaf Selfie Stand for Photos, Snow Ball Bowling & Toss, Make Olaf Dice Game and Frozen Movie Playing
4 - 5 pm | Whiskey 101 Barrel Sampling & Mini-Tour | Cooperstown Distillery | 11 Railroad Ave | A rare opportunity to taste the Distillery’s vintage, soon to-be-released Whiskey products. Participation is complementary with a monetary donation to the Cooperstown Food Pantry. Space is limited so arrive early!
6 pm Sharp | Fireworks Over Otsego Lake | There is no better back-drop than beautiful Otsego Lake for fireworks! Wander down to the Lake before 6:00 pm so you don’t miss the bright colors splashed across the night sky. Fireworks made possible by personal contributions from: Otsego County Sheriff Richard Devlin; County Clerk Kathy Sinnott Gardner; District Attorney John Muehl; County Treasurer Allan Ruffles and The Casale Group.
6:30 - 11 pm | Bassett Health Care’s Annual Valentine’s Soiree | A Celebration of Love and Friendship in the Ballroom of the Otesaga Resort | 60 Lake St | Live music, delicious food and drink, and a picture-perfect setting, makes this a delightful night out! Tickets must be purchased in advance ($150 each.) Proceeds will support the creation of a new, state-of-the-art operating room at Bassett Medical Center.
6:30 - 8:30 pm | Community Movie Night featuring “Cool Runnings” | Clark Sports Center | 124 County Highway 52 | Enjoy a free movie! Non-members must have a signed waiver on file at the Clark Sports Center. Youth under 18 must have a parent sign in with emergency contact information. Children under the age of 10 must be accompanied by an adult.
8 - 10 pm | Lip Sync Showcase | Cooperstown Farmers’ Market | 101 Main St | Groups will be performing on stage - hoping to claim the title of Lip Sync Grand Champions. Immediately following the showcase Flux Capacitor, Cooperstown’s premier 80s band, will take the stage! $5 admission. Must be 21+. Lip sync groups can sign-up by contacting cooplipsync@gmail.com.
9 pm | Scattered Flurries | The Pratt | 50 Pioneer Street
10 pm | Late Into the Night with HanZolo | Cooley’s Stone House Tavern | 49 Pioneer St | Rock the night away with live music, drink specials and food.
Sunday, February 11th
8 - 11:30 am | It's Pancake Time! Lions Club Pancake Breakfast | Cooperstown Veterans’ Club, | 60 Main St | Start the day with this Carnival favorite! Enjoy delicious blueberry, chocolate chip, gluten free, or traditional pancakes along with scrambled eggs, sausage, applesauce, coffee, and tea and locally maple syrup (provided by the Otsego County Maple Producers). Adults $9, Children 6-12 $5, Children 5 & under free. Come support the Lions Club and Leo Club of Cooperstown.
10 am | Geocaching | Pioneer Park | Clark Sports Center staff will guide adults and children* in how to use a GPS** in this high tech global treasure hunt. Be prepared to travel by foot to various locations in all weather conditions.
*Groups of children must have an adult with them.
**The CSC will lend participants GPS units to use for this program.
10:30 - 12 pm | Guided Snowshoeing/Hike* | Clark Sports Center | 124 County Highway 52 | Bundle up and hit the woodland trail with the Otsego County Conservation Association’s Program Director Jeff O'Handley. This themed trek will focus on signs of life past, present and future. Look for animal tracks and scat (aka, poop!), nests, evidence of feeding and more. The event is free and open to the public. Pre-registration is appreciated but not required. Register at http://occainfo.org/program-and-event-sign-up-form/
*Based on conditions, some snowshoes will be available for rent.
11 am | Free Throw & 3-Point Competitions | Clark Sports Center, 124 County Highway 52 | Free, no pre-event sign-up required! Beginning at 11:00 am, the competitions will take as follows:
-
Adult Free Throw - participants must be out of high school
-
Adult 3-Point - participants must be out of high school
-
Middle/High School Free Throw - participants must be in Grades 7th -12th
-
Middle/High School 3-Point - participants must be in Grades 7th -12th
Noon | Winter Carnival Pitch Tournament | Cooley's Stone House Tavern | 49 Pioneer St
1 pm | Cooperstown Candlelight Ghost Tour | Pioneer Park | Call (607)547-8070 to reserve a spot on this highly entertaining and historic tour. If you have never done this it’s a great event! ($10 adults, $5 children, kids under 5 free)
1 - 4 pm | Fenimore Quilt Club Show | Cooperstown Art Association | 22 Main St | Need a break from the cold? Warm up with a visit to the 28th Annual Fenimore Quilt Club Show! This highly anticipated exhibit showcases a diverse array of about one hundred quilts and quilted items in both traditional and contemporary designs. Members of the Fenimore Quilt Club will be present to demonstrate quilting techniques and to answer questions about their craft. Quilt Show will remain open through February 25, daily 11:00 am - 4:00 pm and Sunday 1:00 - 4:00 pm.
2 - 4:30 pm | Cold Winter, Warm Community Winter Carnival Ice Breaker | Cooperstown Distillery | 11 Railroad Ave
2 - 4 pm | Otsego Land Trust's “Picture Perfect” Exhibit | a display of wonderful photos taken around our community, and a fun 30-minute trivia contest at 3 pm featuring questions about the area’s wildlife and environment!
4 pm | Medallion Search Award | The Freeman’s Journal will present the award to the winner of the Winter Carnival Medallion Search.
5 - 7 pm | Grilled Cheese for a Good Cause | Farmers' Market | 101 Main St | Enjoy gourmet grilled cheese sandwiches, seasonal soups, dessert, local beer, wine, cider and live music. Proceeds will benefit Otsego Outdoors. Space is limited! Purchase tickets online, at the Cooperstown Farmers Market, or at Otsego 2000 Offices. For information, please contact Shannon at 607-547-6195 or market@otsego2000.org ($25 per adult, $15 per child 6 -12, and free for children under 6).