The carnival will take place in more than two dozen events around the city.
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The Holyoke firefighters hockey team will play the Franklin County Sheriff's Department Jan. 29 during the Holyoke Winter Carnival.HOLYOKE – Dogs and dominoes and hockey and chili are among the attractions set for the Holyoke Winter Carnival Jan. 29 to Feb. 4.
“It’s really an amazing thing,” organizer Rorey Casey said Thursday. “From Sunday to Saturday, every day there’s something going on.”
The carnival – which organizers hope to make an annual event – will begin with a dog show and include church services, a domino tournament, hockey, a movie, spaghetti, arts and crafts and music, organizers said.
More than 25 carnival events will be held at 15 sites around the city.
Most of the events are free and some will cost a fee, said organizer Ken Johnston, who moved here a year ago from Amherst. Casey said Johnston was the winter carnival driving force.
“I thought it would be the perfect community for a winter carnival event,” Johnston said.
The city Parks and Recreation Department and the Winter Carnival Committee are sponsoring a carnival-kick-off dog show Jan. 29 called “Hot Dogs on a Cold Day,” department Director Teresa M. Shepard said. The dog show is free and will be from 1 to 3 p.m. at Holyoke High School, 500 Beech St., she said.
Casey said the dog show is generating interest.
“Everywhere I go, I hear about this dog show. It’s like the most exciting thing that’s happened in Holyoke in years,” Casey said.
All area dog owners can participate. Registration is $8 per dog and forms are available at the Parks and Recreation Department at City Hall or at the holyoke.org and holyokewintercarnival.org websites, she said. The registration deadline is Jan. 25.
Dog show categories are Best Dressed, Best Dog Trick, Best Mystery Mutt, Best Shorty, Best Smile, Dog and Owner Look-alike, Fastest Tail Wagger, Fluffiest, Prettiest Eyes and Walks with an Attitude, she said.
Dogs in those categories will be assessed by a panel of three judges who will award ribbons for first, second and third place, Casey said. The Best in Show category will be voted on by the audience, she said. Dogs must be licensed and accompanied by people who are 14 or older. Each dog can participate in up to two categories. Owners are responsible to clean up after their dogs.
People interested in volunteering to help with the dog show can call (413) 322-5620 or email sheppart@ci.holyoke.ma.us, Casey said.
Holyoke firefighters will play a hockey match against the Franklin County Sheriff’s Department – “Guns & Hoses Hockey” – Jan. 29 at noon at Fitzpatrick Skating Rink on South Street. Admission is free.
Contests during the carnival are planned for best chili, cake decorating and home-made sled, Casey said.
Mayor Alex B. Morse said the volunteer-driven carnival highlights the city’s culture and creativity.
“Anything that brings families downtown is a good thing,” Morse said.
Carnival sponsors are Citizens for the Revitalization and Urban Success of Holyoke, or C.R.U.S.H., Freedom Credit Union, Holyoke Credit Union and Nueva Esperanza Inc., a local social service group, they said.
The carnival’s schedule and other details are available at holyokewintercarnival.org.