GREENFIELD — This weekend’s Winter Carnival, though a little different than in most years, managed to recreate several of the festival’s classic activities in virtual formats, and also included some new activities imagined just for this year.
“We talked for months to figure out what we could do safely,” said Christy Moore, director of the Greenfield Recreation Department. “Obviously, people are aware of the limitations of being in person, and are open to virtual options.”
Some activities, like the paper snowflake craft contest, were held largely intact through online videoconferencing. Others, like the “K9 Keg Pull” and the cardboard sled race, were reimagined as a dog photo contest and as a cardboard sled design contest.
Some were entirely new. In a citywide scavenger hunt, 10 “golden carrots” — corresponding to a snowman’s missing nose — were hidden in parks around Greenfield. Participants were encouraged to search for the carrots with family members or members of their pandemic “pods.”
By Sunday morning, Moore said, nine of the 10 carrots had been found.
“It’s been very well received,” she said.
Adam’s Donuts, a shop on Federal Street, held a drive-thru doughnut sale on Sunday morning as a fundraiser for the Recreation Department.
That also was well received. The shop donated 80 half-dozen boxes of doughnuts, and all were sold out within the first day of taking orders, Moore said.
If there was ever an event for the dissectologists, or puzzle enthusiasts, of Franklin County, it was the first-ever Greenfield Winter Carnival Jigsaw Puzzle Contest.
Twelve teams from around Franklin County competed on Saturday morning for the coveted “piece prize” — which was ultimately awarded to a team of three from Whately and Hatfield, who completed their puzzle in 1 hour and 24 minutes.
“We’ve pretty much been just been doing puzzles for the past six months,” said Amanda McGrath.
Her team, which included her friends Jenn Holloway and Marianne Martin, established one person to do the edges while the other two worked on the central points of the puzzle.
“We were really hoping (to win),” McGrath said.
“But you never know,” Martin added.
The contest started at roughly 10:40 a.m. after a roll-call and explanation of the rules. Once the timer started, teams began unwrapping the mystery puzzle, a 550-piece image of a cottage on a cobblestone road.
Moore and Assistant Recreation Director Kelly Jenkins served as referees and commentators.
“It looks like they’ve all prepared their puzzle surfaces,” Jenkins said. “I love the teamwork going on in each of the (Zoom) frames.”
Teams, which consisted of up to four members at any given time, each had their own strategy — some started with the edges, others started with the inside of the puzzle. Some used bowls for sorting pieces, and other teams started from the top of puzzle and worked their way down.
After one team used a spatula to transfer completed sections of the puzzle to the proper place, others followed suit.
“It’s amazing watching the different techniques,” Jenkins said.
As the contest progressed, Jenkins told jokes and also shared some jigsaw trivia, including information on the jigsaw World Championships, which take place in Spain every year.
“Keep practicing,” said Jenkins, “you might end up in Spain.”