This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2017, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Few places in Utah are as cold as Rich County in the winter. So give the tourist folks in Rich County a shoutout for celebrating that fact.
The Bear Lake Monster Winterfest will be held all day Saturday and will include a Monster Plunge into the frigid waters of Bear Lake, a raffle, the annual Cisco Disco fishing contest, chili cook off and an outdoor expo.
Most of the events will be held at the Utah State Park marina in Garden City, though most cisco anglers and dip netters go to the east side of the lake.
The entrance fee at the marina will be waived for those attending the event, which is sponsored by the Bear Lake Rendezvous Chamber of Commerce, Bear Lake Valley Convention and Visitors Bureau, Garden City Fire District and Bear Lake State Park.
The Monster Plunge is designed to raise funds for Common Ground Outdoor Adventures which provides outdoor recreational opportunities for youth and adults with disabilities.
The cost is $30, which includes an event sweater. Swimmers for the 1 p.m. event are encouraged to wear a costume. Prizes will be awarded for the best costume.
The Monster Cisco Disco will be held on the east side of Bear Lake at Cisco Beach. State Park fees will be charged and a Utah fishing license is required. The best fishing is at dawn. The biggest cisco — kind of an oxymoron given that the fish are tiny — can be entered at the marina between 1 and 2 p.m. for prizes.
The chili cook-off will be judged at noon followed by a public taste test.
The outdoor expo runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. with a wide variety of products available.
There will also be a raffle with drawings at 12:30, 1:45 and 2:15 p.m. This will help cover the cost of the event, with proceeds going to the Bear Lake Rendezvous Chamber of Commerce.
For details, log on to bearlakemonsterwinterfest.com.
Twitter @tribtomwharton