February 7, 2023 |
Encampment’s 36th Annual Sierra Madre Winter Carnival drew large crowds despite the poor road conditions.
This year’s winter festival featured events such as a chili cookoff, human saucer bowling and snow painting. Town of Encampment Clerk and Treasurer Doreen Harvey said the lousy weather didn’t keep people away.
The Platte Valley Arts Council sponsored the snow painting event. Participants were given a pile of snow and 24 hours to decorate. The team of Lawson and Werner won first place with their snowy rainbow trout. Second place was Dauna Wessel with her fireplace snow sculpture.
The treasure hunt followed. The winter carnival’s chairperson Alyx Munson explained how her literary-based clues took searchers from the Encampment Opera House and back.
A group of friends who dubbed themselves “The Fearsome Five” won the $140 treasure hunt grand prize. The team of Maura, Emma, Ruby, Christa, Helen and Michia solved all of Munson’s clues and returned to the opera house in 32 minutes.
Despite the weather’s best efforts to keep festival-goers away, this year’s Sierra Madre Winter Carnival was another success.
