OK, People. It’s time. Homer Winter Carnival is here, and everything it’s always been is back, plus four new crowd-pleasers we hope you’ll enjoy.

Starting at 7 p.m. Thursday, The Mariner Theater and Homer Lions Club host the “Mr Homer Pageant.” (Yes, “pageant.”) 

Then Friday, my friends, is party time. “The Opening Ceremonies” is another event added to the HWC this year, and it’ll be amazing. Maybe even magic.

Designed around the Olympics OC, there will be bunch of neat stuff at the beginning, then a song, then the “Parade Of Participants” marching around the central bonfire area, then a song at the end. We invite all participants, sponsors, nonprofits, organizations and everyone even remotely involved in the 2014 HWC to join “the athletes” as they parade around the fire. 

Above I mentioned “then a song.” Well, this is where things get amazing. We’ve advertised a 100-voice choir at the opening ceremonies. 

We, you, the crowd are going to be our choir. 

Everyone in Homer, including you, is invited, at this first ever HWC Opening Ceremonies, to be part of the biggest, (and probably warmest) choir ever to sing the “Alaska Flag Song” and “Let There Be Peace On Earth” around a bonfire. We will sing along with these two songs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G4TXxJ9rnYs (Alaska Flag Song) and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpCF5RFcj10 (Let There Be Peace). 

Saturday is the big day. Events everywhere with the Homer Chamber Of Commerce Parade around noon, followed by the first (insane) outhouse races in Homer in almost two decades. Dress code is “waaaay open.” Be crazy.

And Sunday, the finale at 3:33 p.m. at The Down East Saloon is the awards presentations. Outrageous Outhouse Trophies will be awarded, and the Homer Chamber Of Commerce will be handing out big Homer Bucks to the winning Parade Floats.

Quick note: Gail Essex won $100 cash for purchasing the right HWC button. There are more winners out there (See our Facebook page), and the person who collects the most HWC buttons will win a $500 prize package, which will be awarded at the Sunday Awards Presentation.

Well there you have it, Homer. If you enjoy what we’ve done, please buy a HWC collectible button or two. It says “thank you” to the HWC, and it helps the nonprofits who do so much in this town.

Thanks.

Dax Radtke is a member of the Homer Winter Carnival Committee. Updates on the carnival can be found on Facebook.