NORTHFIELD — Love is in the air in Northfield, and with light displays, contests, a tractor parade and more, organizers of the second annual Northfield Winter Weekend say residents have plenty of opportunities to share their love of winter.
Events are scheduled Friday, Feb. 13, through Sunday, Feb. 15, throughout town.
“We started this last year and we’re calling it Northfield Winter Weekend,” Recreation Director Stacy Bond told the Selectboard last week. “We have all sorts of fun stuff. There are a few things on Friday the 13th, but the bulk of it is on the 14th, Valentine’s Day.”
Bond said this year’s festivities will bring back events from last year, such as the “Light Up Northfield with Love” contest, which encourages residents to decorate their homes for Valentine’s Day, and the Junior Firefighters Chili Cook-Off.
“The junior firefighters, along with the Senior Center, are doing their chili cook-off, which went really great last year,” Bond said.
There is a $5 entry fee to participate in the “Light Up Northfield with Love” contest, with proceeds supporting the Northfield Regional Food Pantry. Sign-up forms are available at Mim’s Market, Northfield Food Mart, The Brewery at Four Star Farms, The Back Room Brewing Co. and the Town Clerk’s Office.
The residential decorating contest has a $100 prize for first place and a $50 prize for second place. Judging will take place at 6 p.m. on Friday.
The Junior Firefighters Chili Cook-Off will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Senior Center. The winners will be announced at 11:30 a.m.
Other featured events include an indoor snowman contest, where participants will use creative craft materials to make small snowmen to line the hallways of Town Hall. There’s also the February Freeze 5K on Saturday morning, cookie decorating at Northfield Food Mart on Saturday, card making in advance of the holiday at Dickinson Memorial Library on Friday and a dodgeball tournament on Saturday at 6 p.m. in Northfield Elementary School’s gymnasium, to name a few of the activities available.
“People can make their own snowman, put it in the hallway downstairs, and all the participants that make a snowman will get a creamie gift card for when [the Northfield Creamie] opens this spring,” Bond told the Selectboard. “And on Saturday, we start off with the February Freeze, which is the same as our runs on Thursday nights in the summer, but it’s just going to be a bit colder.”
The February Freeze 5K will begin at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday at 105 Main St. Registration begins at 9 a.m. The cost is $5 per runner or $10 for a family.
Bond said businesses in town will be participating as well, offering special deals, meals and activities. On Saturday, Kidder & Co. will welcome guests to make pinecone bird feeders from 9 a.m. to noon, and there will be a hot chocolate bar at Mim’s Market from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Cameron’s Winery will be serving a Valentine’s Dinner on Friday at 6 p.m., and FirstLight Hydro Generating Co. will host a Mountain Feast & Pig Roast at Northfield Mountain on Saturday, with seatings from 1 to 2 p.m. and from 2 to 3 p.m. Tickets for Saturday’s meal are $15 to support the Northfield Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 9874.
New this year will be the Spreading Love Tractor Parade on Saturday at 10 a.m. Bond said tractors will travel the same route of the Memorial Day parade, beginning at the Trinitarian Congregational Church, traveling down Main Street to Town Hall and circling back.
Those interested in participating in the tractor parade and decorating their tractor and other equipment for the parade can email liz.letoile@gmail.com or call 413-824-0314.
With a full schedule of winter-themed and Valentine’s Day-themed activities throughout the weekend, Bond said there’s so much for attendees to enjoy.
“On Saturday, there’s all these things happening in the middle of town, one right after another,” Bond said, “so people can bounce around from thing to thing and see the parade in the middle. It should be fun if the weather cooperates.”
For more information, visit bit.ly/winterwknd.