Winter Carnival coming soon

IOLA — The community of Iola will be hosting their 64th Iola Winter Carnival, taking place Feb. 6-8.
This three-day event features family-friendly activities, historic winter sports, delicious food, and the small-town traditions that have made the Iola Winter Carnival a central Wisconsin favorite for more than six decades.
The weekend begins Feb. 6, with the Iola snow bully fat bike race at 6 p.m. at the Iola Winter Sports Club, E398 County Road MM, setting the tone for an action-packed weekend. Saturday will also offer a full schedule of activities for all ages.
One of the day’s highlights is the ice-carving competition, held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Chet Krause Legacy Park, 149 South Chet Krause Drive. Teams are still welcome to sign up, with an entry fee of $20 per team.
Prizes will be awarded as follows first place will receive $200 in chamber bucks plus a matching $200 donation to the team’s chosen local organization or charity.

Then second place is $100 in chamber bucks and third place is $50 in chamber bucks.
Spectators are encouraged to watch the creativity unfold while enjoying complimentary hot chocolate and cookies sponsored by Melum Masonry.
Also on Saturday, community safety takes center stage with a live-action ice rescue demonstration on Lake Iola at 11 a.m. presented by the Scandinavia Fire Department. This educational and engaging demonstration will showcase real-life ice rescue techniques and highlight the importance of winter safety on frozen lakes.
Saturday activities continue with over 35 vendors the craft fair & bake sale from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the elementary school gym, 450 Division Street.
The traditional lutefisk supper will be served Saturday with three seating times at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church, 395 East Iola Street.
The traditional Norwegian meal includes lutefisk, cod, meatballs, potatoes, corn, lefse, cranberries, coleslaw, and an assortment of homemade Norwegian baked goods.
Lutefisk Supper tickets can be purchased online or in person at the Iola Village Office, 180 South Street, during normal business hours. Tickets are limited and advance purchase is strongly encouraged.
Also on Saturday is the popular chili walk cook-off, running from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Participants can sample chili and vote for their favorite at the following locations 10LA Corner Bar, The Iola Mills, Mark McCoy’s Flat Tracker Tap, Iola Coffee, Crystal Café, and
Little Wolf Gallery.
Youth activities remain a cornerstone of the Winter Carnival which includes the free children’s ice fishing contest on Lake Iola for children ages 17 and under.
Registration begins at 10 a.m., with the contest running until 2 p.m., followed by awards and prizes generated by donations.
The day concludes with the crowning of the Queen of Snows at 5 p.m. at Our Savior’s Lutheran Church.
Sunday celebrates Iola’s winter sports heritage with skijoring and kids ski races, followed by the Central Ski Jumping Championships at noon at the Iola Winter Sports Club.
The historic ski jumps remain one of the Winter Carnival’s most iconic attractions, showcasing central Wisconsin’s finest ski jumping facility and the state’s newest 60-meter ski jump.
Food and refreshments will be available on site.
Throughout the weekend, cross-country skiing and snowshoeing trails will be open, welcoming outdoor enthusiasts of all experience levels.
To make it easy to enjoy everything happening around town, attendees are encouraged to hop on the free trolley, providing convenient transportation between Winter Carnival events.
The weekend also includes the 64th Iola Winter Carnival Raffle, featuring cash prizes and gift certificates donated by generous local businesses.
Proceeds benefit the American Legion Sheveland-Taylor Post 14 and the Iola Winter Sports Club.
For full schedules, updates, and event details, follow Iola Winter Carnival on Facebook or visit their website.