For the town of Hanover, big weekends such as Winter Carnival are always good for local businesses, but business owners say the Carnival weekend will not reach the proportions that it did in the days of yore.
Some merchants remembered past Carnivals with nostalgia, not only for the greater volume of customers it brought, but for the traditions and town participation that have since disappeared.
Clint Bean, executive director of commerce for the Hanover area, reminisced about the bygone inter-fraternity ice sculpture contest, which, he said, "was intense."
"It should be more of a community event," said Jim Harrison general manager of Murphy's On The Green.
Another factor affecting the decline of community attendance was the loss of the ski jump on the golf course, which was a big attraction to people from the surrounding towns, Harrison said.
Harrison suggested combatting this loss with a "more authentic" Carnival, where attractions such as real sled dogs would draw people from surrounding communities to the College for the weekend.
However, this is not to say the weekend will pass through the town without impact.
"Both [Homecoming and Winter Carnival] weekends have a positive effect for us," Harrison said. "But the Carnival doesn't attract as broad of a crowd."
Winter Carnival may not attract as many people as it used to, but its coincidence with Valentine's Day this year may prove to increase patronage.
Molly's Balloon Manager Tom Demers said he expects to have over 1,000 people visit the restuarant over the weekend. Demers, a Hanover native, contended that Carnival has "stayed pretty much the same," although other weekends like Green Key have become more low-key.
Hanover Chief of Police Nick Giaccone agreed that the Carnival has lost some of its community spirit and now is a more student-centered event.
"Nearly everyone from town used to go out on Sunday and look at the sculptures," Giaccone said, alluding to the abandoned fraternity competition. "Now it's no more [busy] than a typical weekend."
