GENEVA — Bone chilling temperatures didn’t deter hundreds of people from taking part in the Geneva Winterfest Saturday.
The event was designed to draw attention to the community and all it has to offer, organizers and city officials said.
Tonya Meals, of Oil City, Pa., and her husband dropped in for the weekend to check out the event.
“We’re on a little get away,” Meals said while walking down North Broadway on the way to a very chilly, chili cook-off. She said brochures and an Internet search led the couple to Geneva; which is just what city officials planned.
Geneva City Manager James Pearson said his office received a call late Friday afternoon from a lady in Hartville, Ohio seeking information about the event.
“I think we are getting recognized. This is a great event. It gets people looking around in our downtown,” Pearson said of the event and its widening net of interest.
The Geneva-on-the-Lake community also got involved as a hosting spot for several snow-related events this year at the village golf course.
Dozens of people braved the temperatures, in the mid-teens, to test a wide variety of chili. Eileen Froelich kept a smiling face while dolling out chili, but was bundled up tight to try and stay warm.
Mike Goddard, chairman of the Chili Cook-off, said there were 24 entries in the contest with 12 individuals, four non-profit groups and eight restaurants competing in three divisions.
Goddard said Mike Zavoda won the individual entry class; the Geneva Veteran’s of Foreign Wars came out on top in the non-profit category and Briquettes, located in Ashtabula Harbor, won the restaurant competition.
Gary Tepley, Scoutmaster of Troop 534 in Geneva, was watching several of his Scouts attack the man-made snow hill along Depot Street where many of the activities were focused.
“I love being able to help the kids,” he said while watching the youngsters slide down the hill.
The Lodge and Conference Center at Geneva-on-the-Lake also was host to a variety of activities. The Jolly Trolley shuttled people between events to cut down on parking problems.
“We’re expecting 500 to 600 this year,” said Darla Green who works at the lodge and is on the Winterfest committee. She said a variety of musical groups performed, face painting was available and representatives of the Ohio Division of Wildlife were handing out samples of wild turkey and deer meet.
Green said 28 Geneva area students answered the call and created entries in an igloo competition. “Hopefully it will continue to grow,” she said.
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WINTERFEST 2010
Festival draws folks out of hibernation and to the Geneva area
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