Thursday, January 15
Taste of Sandpoint
5-7 p.m. at new venue! Sandpoint Business & Events Center, Pine & Euclid
It's an opportunity to sample the fantastic foods of Sandpoint's finest chefs as Greater Sandpoint restaurants come together to showcase their culinary creations. Discover the flavor of Sandpoint at this long-standing Winter Carnival tradition. (208) 263-0887
Winter Carnival Karaoke
7-10 p.m. at Coldwater Creek Wine Bar, 311 N. First Avenue
Command the mike or just enjoy the entertainment, along with a terrific selection of wines. The wine bar also has live music on Friday and Saturday.
Friday, January 16
Winter Carnival ArtTrek
5-8 p.m., at locations around downtown Sandpoint
Wander blissfully amid downtown's wine bars, galleries and shops in this self-guided art trek, showcasing the work of many local and regional artists. Special showings, hors d'oeuvres and live music at many locations listed below. Click right now for the downloadable map, or pick it up at any of the ArtTrek venues:
Art Works Gallery, 219 N. First Ave.
FC Weskil's, 302 N. First Ave.
Coldwater Creek Wine Bar, 311 N. First Ave.
The Hallans Gallery, 323 N. First Ave.
Sandpoint High Artists, 218 Cedar St.
Pend d'Oreille Winery, 220 Cedar St.
Timberstand Gallery, 225 Cedar St.
Gallery Off Cedar, 226 Cedar St.
Taylor Parker Motor Co., 300 W. Cedar St.
FireDance by Bio Luminesce
6:00 p.m., Pend d'Oreille Winery, 220 Cedar Street
Bio Luminesce is a fire performance dance troupe using various mediums including dance, theatre, acrobatics, live and recorded music, yoga, and martial arts. The element that connects them all together, however, is FIRE, which includes firespinning and fire breathing, all using the sustainable and eco-friendlier fuel bio-diesel. Their half-hour show will run once only, so don't be late!
Bonfire
6:30 p.m., Jeff Jones Town Square at Main and Third
A favorite from Winter Carnivals past, but with a twist: The bonfire this year will be smack in the middle of Main Street, adjacent to the Town Square and all the railjam happenings.
Winter Carnival Rail Jam
7-10 p.m., Jeff Jones Town Square at Main and Third
New in '09! Skiers and snowboarders will compete at sliding on handrails and other manmade features. Points are awarded for style, amplitude, difficulty, and variety. Spinneybent Rails will construct a 20-foot-tall tall, 90-foot-long feature that includes custom-built rail slides. Riders will compete for cash, and the spectators can keep warm and catch all the excitement by the bonfire.
Casey MacGill's Blue 4 Trio
7:30 p.m., at the Panida Theatre, 300 N. First Avenue
Some have called them the Nat King Cole Trio meets the Mills Brothers, or Slim Galliard meets Fred Astaire. The Blue 4 Trio serves up music from the 1920s to the '60s, all happening at the same time but woven into a seamless, amazing whole. At the core of the sound is the band's sometimes sweet, sometimes rough-hewn three-part harmony vocals and a piano-ukulele-bass-and-drums rhythm section that swings along in a variety of textures. This performance is part of the POAC 2008/2009 Performance Series. Visit www.ArtinSandpoint.org for tickets and more information. (208) 263-6139
Saturday, January 17
Snowshoe Volleyball Tournament
Beginning 9 a.m. at the Dover Bay Marina Village in Dover
Everyone is invited to gather a team together and join the fun! Snow shoes provided. Space is limited; there will be nine-person teams with a registration fee of $10 per person. Register by January 15th at 208-263-5493. The adjacent Dover Bay Café will be serving breakfast and lunch along with an outdoor BBQ with brats and beer.
Snowmobile & ATV Demo Day
Beginning 9 a.m., at the Dover Bay Marina Village in Dover
Try out the latest and greatest snowmobiles and ATVs. Provided by Sandpoint Marine and Motorsports. The adjacent Dover Bay Café will be serving breakfast and lunch along with an outdoor BBQ with brats and beer.
Chili Cookoff and Fudge-O-Rama
10 a.m. entries begin; tastings start at noon, at Bonner Mall in Ponderay
Enter your own great recipes, or just show up to taste what the area’s best cooks have come up with. The annual Chili-Cookoff registration and cooking starts at 10 a.m., with a $50 prize for first and $30 for second and third; entries in the Fudge-O-Rama start at 11 a.m. The People’s Choice judging for both runs noon-2 p.m. Mall merchants kick into the festivities with great deals on sidewalk sales. 208-263-4272
Polar Plunge
10-11:30 a.m. at the Dover Bay Lake Club Fitness Center in Dover
None of that ice-cold lake action here; plungers get to take a dip in the heated outdoor pool at Dover Bay, and then head to the hot tub!
Wishing Star Candy Contest
Make entries 10:30-11:30 a.m. with candy sales noon-3 p.m. at Bonner Mall in Ponderay
This annual contest benefits the local Wishing Star chapter. Anyone can enter the contest by bringing at least 2 pounds of candy cut into 2-inch pieces, provided on a plate or container that won't be returned. Everyone judges the candy for the best entry; all the candy sold go to help Wishing Star make an ill child's wish come true. Plus the top three vote-getters win prizes, with $50 for first place.
Dover Bay Midwinter Art Fest
11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Dover Bay
Get an eyeful of astounding artworks at this art festival hosted by Dover Bay and co-sponsored by Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty. There will be refreshments and entertainment to go with the art. Dover Bay is 2 miles west of Sandpoint on Highway 2; just follow the signs and banners to the art venues. Visit MidWinterArtFest.com for more information.
Schweitzer Torchlight Parade & Fireworks
6 p.m., Schweitzer Mountain Resort
Enjoy a day of skiing at the Inland Northwest's best ski mountain, and stay to celebrate Schweitzer's annual Winter Carnival festivities. This event will include a torchlight parade, spectacular fireworks display, live music, and more. Strap on the skis or board for a bit of night skiing, too. Visit www.schweitzer.com or call (208) 263-9555 for more information.
Sunday, January 18
K-9 Keg Pull
10 a.m., Eichardt’s Pub in the 300 block alley of Cedar Street
The K-9 Keg Pull is a Winter Carnival favorite, in which canines are harnessed to empty kegs kindly supplied by Eichardt’s Pub, and race down a 50-yard course. Dogs compete against like-sized entrants, and little dogs pull wee little kegs (think: kegs for St. Bernards, beer cans for chihuahuas). Bring your pup to compete, but it's a terrific and kind of heartwarming spectator sport whether you have a canine contestant or not. There are prizes for winners, but all monies raised by the nominal entry fees benefit the Panhandle Animal Shelter. (208) 263-4005
Dover Bay Midwinter Art Fest
11 a.m.-4 p.m. at Dover Bay
For the second day, get an eyeful of astounding artworks at this art festival hosted by Dover Bay and co-sponsored by Tomlinson Sandpoint Sotheby's International Realty. There will be refreshments and entertainment to go with the art. Dover Bay is 2 miles west of Sandpoint on Highway 2; just follow the signs and banners to the art venues. Visit MidWinterArtFest.com for more information.
And don't forget to come back February 19-24, 2009 for Sandpoint's Madcap Mardi Gras, all around downtown Sandpoint. Visit www.madcapmardigras.com for more information about those events.
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