Festival attracts big crowd
WORTH TWP — It wasn't too cold for Saturday's Winterfest at Moraine State Park, but for those who needed to be warmed up, the variety of fixings at the chili cook-off could help.
“The stoves warm everybody up. Some spicy chili, too,” said Ron Boltey, who was in charge of the cook-off.
The cook-off was one of a number of events at the fifth annual Winterfest at McDanel's Launch on the park's North Shore.
Boltey said there were 16 chili competitors. Each year about 500 people buy chili.
“We sell out every year,” Boltey said. There was a good variety — spicy, vegetarian and even a pork green chili, which Boltey said was new this year.
There were also horse-drawn carriage rides, a snowshoe workshop, ice fishing demonstrations, chain saw carving, ice carving, cross-country skiing, crafts, live music and a family birding hike.
Assistant park manager Jake Weiland was hoping about 3,200 people would attend.
Early in the afternoon, the McDanel's Launch parking area was already full and the overflow vehicles had to be rerouted to the bicycle rental area parking.
“It is huge,” Weiland said. “The goal is to grow it.”
There were a few new activities this year, including Portersville EMS selling food as a fundraiser and the Allegheny Mountain Rescue Group bringing its rescue dogs.
Additionally, there was an ice sailboat on display.Todd McBride of Plum, Allegheny County, was helping out at the display. An ice sailboat is similar to a regular sailboat, but it is outfitted with skates so it can slide on the ice.“Very fast and a lot of fun,” McBride said of the sport.He said the wooden boat was homemade and could be transported on a car roof.John Bridges of the Moraine Sailing Club was promoting puddle ducks, which are easy to use small sailboats.He said he is trying to get people interested in building these boats because the Puddle Duck World Championships will come to Moraine in August.“This is the time to be building puddle ducks, not sailing them,” Bridges said.Christine Hertzog of Slippery Rock and her two sons, Dustin, 11, and Mason, 8, were enjoying frozen Lake Arthur. This was their third time at the event.“They like to play on the ice,” Hertzog said, saying they also like snowshoeing.Mason said he wanted to get some hot chocolate, but had other, more immediate things on his mind.“Sliding on the ice,” he said.
Over by the chili pavilion, Paul Cope of Mars was being handed cups of chili by his wife, Misty Cope. As the winner of last year's cook-off, she was one of seven chili judges this year, and was giving her husband a chance to try them.“It's pretty good,” Paul said.He was watching the couple's 2-year-old son, Levi. For the entire ride to the event, Cope said his son kept talking about how he wanted to see the dogs and the horses.“He's having a blast,” he said.
