After a two-week postponement due to the weather, the 30th annual Great Fruitcake Toss returns to Manitou Springs on Saturday, February 1.
This family-and-dog-friendly event will take place at Memorial Park, off Manitou Ave., from noon to 3 p.m.
Contestants can take part in four sporting events, testing different fruitcake-wielding abilities, including:
- Distance: Throw a fruitcake the farthest
- Balance: Balance a fruitcake on a spatula and navigate a race course
- Accuracy: Toss a fruitcake into increasingly small hoops
- BasketCake: Aim at various baskets and total your score after three throws
There will also be a fruitcake baking competition. Cakes must include flour, nuts and fruit and should be dropped off for judging between noon and 12:30 p.m.
Sporting contestants can bring their own holiday fruitcakes and pay $1 per toss in each competition, or they can borrow a fruitcake from the festival for $5, with four tosses included in the rental fee. Tickets for each additional toss cost $1 or can be purchased in exchange for a non-perishable food item that will be donated to the Manitou Springs Community Food Pantry.
If you’re bringing your own fruitcake, it must weigh one pound, be rectangular and contain flour, fruit and/or nuts. It cannot contain inedible ingredients.
“Fruitcake Tech Inspectors” will examine all outside cakes to ensure they meet these standards.
Other festival activities include a catapult-making station and fruitcake rock painting.
Fruitcake samples will also be available from Collins Street Bakery.
