83rd annual Middlebury College Winter Carnival on Feb. 23-26 warms up with "Iced Out" as its theme
Note: The nordic events have been moved from Middlebury’s Rikert Ski Touring Center to the Craftsbury Nordic Center in Craftsbury, Vt. Click here for more information.
MIDDLEBURY, Vt. - The 83rd annual Middlebury College Winter Carnival, the oldest and largest student-run carnival in the country, will take place Thursday, Feb. 23-Sunday, Feb. 26, with “Iced Out” as this year’s theme. The public is invited to attend an ice show, a snow festival hosted by the Japanese Club, a cultural gala, a Bread & Puppet performance, and both Nordic and alpine ski competitions.
Beginning at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 23, visitors to the Middlebury College Kenyon Arena on South Main Street (Route 30) can enjoy the Winter Carnival Ice Show. This year’s performance is titled “Warning: Keep Frozen” and will feature the Middlebury Figure Skating Club, whose members include local children and adults, as well as Middlebury College students, staff and faculty. Ross Miner and Katrina Hacker will appear as guest skaters. Miner, the 2006 United States National Intermediate Men’s Champion, is a 15-year-old skater from Williston, who now lives in the Boston area and trains with the Skating Club of Boston. Hacker, from Rye, N.Y., is the 2006 North Atlantic Regional Junior Ladies Champion and she recently finished seventh at the U.S. State Farm Championships. The show will be performed again at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 24.
On Friday afternoon, from 1-4 p.m., the Snow Festival will take place in Coffrin Lounge, located in Coffrin Hall behind the Château on Château Road off College Street (Rte 125.) This annual celebration is sponsored by the Middlebury College Japanese Club and includes activities such as calligraphy and origami, as well as student performances, booths with hands-on activities and a sampling of Japanese winter foods.
Following the Snow Festival, visitors of all ages may proceed to the Middlebury College Center for the Arts to enjoy a cultural gala titled “Frozen Fantasy,” from 4:00-7 p.m. Activities will include a chance to learn about dance from around the world - from belly dancing and Flamenco to the Maori fire dance of New Zealand, along with performances by the Middlebury College Flying Fists Juggling Brigade and the Generation Today/Vermont (GT/VT) Breakers, a group of Middlebury College break dancers who will also offer break dancing lessons. Light refreshments will be served and the Middlebury College Museum of Art will be open to the public from 7-9 p.m.
On both Friday, Feb. 24, and Saturday, Feb. 25, some of the finest collegiate skiers will compete at the carnival, where the Nordic and alpine races are regional qualifying events for the
NCAA. Competitions will take place at the Middlebury College Snow Bowl in Hancock and the Rikert Ski Touring Center in Ripton. Visiting teams include Bates, Bowdoin, Colby, Dartmouth, Harvard, St. Lawrence, St. Michael’s, University of New Hampshire, University of Vermont and Williams. Pending qualification, individuals on teams from the following schools may also compete: Boston College, Plymouth, Northern Michigan University, Smith, St. Anselm, Clarkson, M.I.T. and the University of Massachusetts. There will be an outdoor barbecue at the Snow Bowl on Saturday at 11:30 a.m.
To conclude the weekend, the Bread & Puppet Theater of Vermont will perform a work titled “National Circus of the Correct Moment” at 6 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 26, in Nelson Arena, on South Main Street (Route 30). Bread & Puppet Theater was founded in 1963 by Peter Schumann in New York City, and in 1970 moved to Vermont as theater-in-residence at Goddard College, before relocating in 1974 to a farm in Glover. The traveling shows range from tightly composed pieces presented by members of the company to extensive pageants that encourage the participation of onlookers. Bread & Puppet is one of the oldest, nonprofit, self-supporting theatrical companies in the country, and the Winter Carnival performance will feature its signature masked characters and giant papier-mâché puppets.
To follow is a listing of events:
Middlebury College Winter Carnival 2006
Events Calendar Listings
Cultural and Entertainment Events:
Thursday, Feb. 23
7:30 p.m.
Ice Show: “Warning: Keep Frozen”
Will feature guest performances by Ross Miner, the 2006 U.S. National Intermediate Men’s Champion, and Katrina Hacker, the 2006 North Atlantic Regional Junior Ladies Champion who recently finished seventh at the U.S. State Farm Championships. Tickets are $5 and will be available at the door, payable with cash and check only.
Kenyon Arena, Middlebury College, Route 30
Friday, Feb. 24
1-4 p.m.
Snow Festival
Annual celebration sponsored by the Middlebury College Japanese Club that includes activities such as calligraphy and origami, as well as student performances, booths with hands-on activities and a sampling of Japanese winter foods.
Coffrin Hall, behind the Château off College Street (Rte 125), Middlebury College
4:00-7 p.m.
“Frozen Fantasy” Cultural Gala
Learn about dance from around the world, including belly dancing, Flamenco and fire poi. Performances by Middlebury College’s Flying Fists Juggling Brigade and the GT/VT Breakers, a Middlebury College break dancing group who will also offer lessons to kids. Light refreshments will be served.
Center for the Arts, Middlebury College, Route 30
7:30 p.m.
Ice Show: “Warning: Keep Frozen”
Will feature guest performances by Ross Miner, the 2006 U.S. National Intermediate Men’s Champion, and Katrina Hacker, the 2006 North Atlantic Regional Junior Ladies Champion who recently finished seventh at the U.S. State Farm Championships. Tickets are $5 and will be available at the door, payable with cash and check only.
Kenyon Arena, Middlebury College, Route 30
Sunday, Feb. 26
6 p.m.
Bread & Puppet Theater Performance: “National Circus of the Correct Moment”
Performance by Vermont-based theater group will feature its signature masked characters and giant papier-mâché puppets.
Nelson Arena, Middlebury College, Route 30
Ski Events:
Friday, Feb. 24
Alpine Events, Middlebury College Snow Bowl, Hancock, Route 125
9:30 a.m. Men’s Slalom - First Run
Followed by Women’s Slalom - First Run
12:30 p.m. Men’s Slalom - Second Run
Followed by Women’s Slalom - Second Run
Nordic Events, Rikert Ski Touring Center, Ripton, Route 125
10 a.m. Men’s 10K Classic
11:15 a.m. Women’s 5K Classic
Saturday, Feb. 25
Alpine Events, Middlebury College Snow Bowl, Hancock, Route 125
9:30 a.m. Women’s Giant Slalom - First Run
Followed by Men’s Giant Slalom - First Run
11:30 a.m. Outdoor barbecue at the Snow Bowl
12:30 p.m. Women’s Giant Slalom - Second Run
Followed by Men’s Giant Slalom - Second Run
Nordic Events, Rikert Ski Touring Center, Ripton, Route 125
10 a.m. Women’s 15K Mass Start Freestyle
11:30 a.m. Men’s 20K Mass Start Freestyle
Admission to the Snow Festival, cultural gala, Bread & Puppet performance and ski events is free. Tickets for the ice show are $5, payable with cash or check. Tickets will be available at the door. For more information, contact the Middlebury College Center for Campus Activities at 802-443-3100.