By David F. Rooney
There are some BIG events and really great times lined up for Spirit Fest this weekend.
There’s the always-amusing Top Bloke Contest at the Last Drop on Friday evening starting at 8 pm and the Youth Battle of the Bands at the Community Centre at 9 as well as Jam Night at Benoit’s Wine Bar starting at 9 pm.
On Saturday the best stuff all takes place during the day with the Chili Cook-Off (2-5 pm), Dog Show (3-4 pm), Outhouse Races (3 pm) and Rail Jam (4-9 pm) downtown. (If you’re a snowmobiler or are planning to ski up Boulder Mountain you can also participate in the Canadian Avalanche Association’s Avalanche Days activities all day long up there. They’ll also be partying down at the Last Drop in the evening.)
“Everything is pretty dialed in for the Chili Cook-Off,” Tourism Coordinator Meghan Tabor said in an e-mail to The Current. “All proceeds are going to the Community Connections’ Food Bank after we reimburse businesses for their ingredient costs. ”
The businesses competing in the Cook-Off are: the Last Drop; Sangha Bean, Ginger & Spice; Benoit’s Winbe Bar; The Modern Bakeshop; Paramjit’s; Village Idiot; Society Snow & Skate/Doggystyle Ridgebacks.
“We printed 200 voting cards and hope to sell out,” Meghan said. “Purchase your voting card at any participating business. When you have tasted all the chilis, drop your completed voting card in one of the buckets.”
She also said that five teams have registered for the Amazing Race, which she had feared a few days ago might be cancelled.
“We will be running the Amazing Race, however at this point we only have 5 teams registered,” Meghan said. “The Amazing Race will be a shotgun start at 11 am down at the Okanagan College. We plan to end around 3:30-4 pm at Grizzly Plaza.”
There are plenty of other things going on, too. They include: Red Eye Empire in performance at the River City Pub on Friday evening; Nordic Ski Clinics at Mount Macpherson on Sunday 9 am – 11 am and 1 pm – 3 pm; the Amazing Race from 11 am until 5 pm, the Swing Monkeys in performance at the Last Drop at 6 pm; and the Official Spirit Fest Wrap Up Spaghetti Dinner put on by the Revelstoke Canine Search & Rescue Society at the Community Centre at 6 pm. The dinner is a fundraiser for the Society and for the Ski Patrol. $5 bucks gets you dinner for one; $15 gets platers of for a family of four. That’s a great deal! The dinner runs from 6 until 7:45 pm on Sunday evening so don’t be late!
And last but not least, on Monday, which is Family Day, there is Cordwood Curling at the Forum from 9 am until 1 pm and a Family Swim at the Aquatic Centre from 1 pm until 4 pm.
While you’re waiting for all the great stuff this weekend, here are some photos from ABBA Again and Shane Philip:
