The event will feature a variety of winter activities.

The festival is taking the place of this school year’s Fallfest and is inviting folks from throughout local communities to participate.

One of the reasons for the switch in dates is to try to pick up spirits up at a time of year in which there is not a lot of activity is transpiring and to generate buzz around the Chassell area during the winter.

With the new idea comes new activities. The school will be hosting events such as a chili cook off, a lantern snowshoe trail, a story walk, snowman sculpting and marshmallow roasting. Indoor activities are also planned including a cake walk and concessions.

Chassell teachers are supervising the students as they prepare for the Chili Cook-Off at Saturday’s Winterfest. L to R: Ryan Witting, Luke Kauma, Orion Ware, Sydney Harmon, Amelia Huhta, Tiffany Erickson, Isy Hietala, Whitney Walitalo and Jordan Holombo. (Photo Courtesy of Chassell Township Schools)

The chili cook off has generated much excitement throughout the student body. Five teams made of students supervised by school faculty have been honing their cooking skills this week with chili recipes sent by sponsors or invented by themselves. They will be competing for the best chili recipe and be judged through multiple categories including taste, texture and aroma.

Visitors can purchase punch cards to test all five chilis but have a full bowl of their favorite. This will go on for as long as the supply lasts.

The lantern snowshoe trail will consist of about a half an hour walk adjacent to the school. The school often utilizes them for outdoor class time, and English teacher Mark Ware has commented that he believes it is good to endorse the outdoor activities to the community, especially the students.

“I think it’s a good resource for the kids, especially in this day and age, to get some time outside and to sit quietly,” he said. “That’s a skill that sometimes a lot of our students have, but there’s always a few who seem to be experiencing it for the first time. Having a bird land and eating seeds out of your hand or something like that within a few minutes is kind of a big thing for a lot of the kids.”

Recent increased involvement with the community will be felt at the festival, with members of the Lion’s Club donating to fund some events and Chassell Women’s Club baking cakes that will be served during the cakewalk. Both organizations have recently held meetings and made monetary donations to the school.

School Superintendent Maro Guidotti was happy to see the school providing a way to bring the Chassell community together.

“Any chance we have to get people, whether they live in Chassell or the area, to come in and just enjoy camaraderie and winter festivities, we’re grateful to have a role in that,” he said.