Early spring or more winter? Benny the Bass to predict at Buckeye Lake Winterfest
Punxsutawney Phil has nothing on Benny the Bass.
While Phil is still dozing in his groundhog burrow, Benny will be out bright and early on Jan. 29, choosing whether to devour some minnows, and thereby declaring whether we'll have six more weeks of winter.
Winterfest starts at 6:30 a.m. at North Shore Park in the village of Buckeye Lake, with music and dancing.
At 7 a.m., the official ceremony will take place.
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“I make an official proclamation, and then I pour a bunch of minnows into this big tank with a live bass,” said Mike Fornataro, the Chair of Winterfest this year, and a trustee with the Buckeye Lake Region Chamber of Commerce.
“Then people chant, 'Take the bait, spring can't wait.' The bass has three minutes to eat a minnow. If he does, it's an early spring. If he doesn't, it's six more weeks of winter.”
Whether he does or not, fireworks follow.
“It's still not dawn yet, so a little after 7, we'll be shooting Fourth-of-July-level fireworks over the lake,” Fornataro said.
At this year's ceremony, Benny will be honored with a new theme song celebrating his abilities of prognostication.
David Spires, 50, who wrote “Benny the Bass,” grew up in Zanesville and spent many years playing music in Nashville and recording and touring with musicians such as Shania Twain and Jo Dee Messina before returning with his wife and son to the village of Buckeye Lake when the pandemic hit.
“About two weeks ago, they reached out to me to see if I'd take a stab at writing a theme song for Winterfest. They wanted something that people could sing along to. I rolled with a few of those ideas, tried to move it a little bit more toward the classic rock side of things instead of country, which is what I do most of. They chuckled and loved it,” he said.
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Participants who would like a chance to practice the catchy song before singing along at the morning ceremonies can hear it now on YouTube, Spotify and other streaming channels.
Though a recorded version of the song will be spun by a DJ at the morning ceremony, visitors to Winterfest can hear Spires in person from 8 to 11 a.m. at the Boatyard at Buckeye Lake, 5171 N. Bank Road, and from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Buckeye Lake Yacht Club, 5019 N. Bank Road, which is open to the public for the day.
For those who would like to arrive at the ceremonies caffeinated, North Shore Coffee, 4675 Walnut Road, Buckeye Lake, will open at 5:30 a.m. and Millersport Coffee, 12045 Lancaster Road, Millersport, at 6 a.m.
Other beverages will be flowing freely throughout the day in the Buckeye Lake region.
More than 40 businesses will be taking part in Winterfest, which got its start in 2016.
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“All around the Buckeye Lake region, there are art shows, there are live bands starting first thing in the morning, there are food and drink specials, activities, carvings,” Fornataro said. “There are businesses that double their best day of the year, their best day all summer long, at Winterfest.”
He recommends that visitors take advantage of the interactive map on the Buckeye Lake Region Chamber of Commerce Facebook page, which provides links to and information about all the participating businesses.
Those who want to get a closer look at Benny can catch him in his tank at Buckeye Lake Brewery, 5176 Walnut Road, where he will be holding court all day. Visitors might also get a glimpse of a costumed Benny, who has been showing up in Facebook posts around the area, or take a photo with the Benny mural on the wall of the Harbor Community Center.
After a long evening, Winterfest will resume on Jan. 30 for the traditional Polar Plunge, now in its eighth year, at Buckeye Lake Winery, 13750 Rosewood Road NE, in Thornville.
The fundraiser, benefitting the United Way, invites individuals and teams to jump into the lake for charity. Guests will begin to gather at 10 a.m., with the plunge taking place at 1 p.m.
The Millersport fire department is there supervising, with emergency services on hand, just in case.
“Last year we had over 150 registered jumpers, the people who jump into the lake. And then we have four or five hundred people here who come to make donations and watch the plunge,” said Ted Atwell, general manager of the Winery. “It's just a great community event where everyone knows that the money raised is being put back into the community.”
At a glance
Winterfest begins at 6:30 a.m. Jan. 29 at North Shore Park off Interstate 79, Buckeye Lake and runs throughout the day and night around the region. The Polar Plunge festivities begin at 10 a.m. Jan. 30 at the Buckeye Lake Winery, 13750 Rosewood Road, Thornville. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/BuckeyeLakeWinterfest
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will Benny the Bass predict early spring at Buckeye Lake's Winterfest?
