Mr. Fruitcake Dances Again!

Every small town is known for *something* that makes it totally unique, and Manitou Springs is proudly known for its wacky, wildly creative events. The first event of 2012 is the Great Fruitcake Toss on January 14^th, 10am to 2 pm at the Manitou Springs High School Track. If you’ve never attended, this activity may warrant just a little explanation.
The day is filled with many fruitcake tossing events that require physical skill or a powerful launching device. You will see children free-style tossing, and you will see adults, some of them aeronautical engineers, shooting ancient fruitcake well into the foothills with carefully crafted cannons or trebuchets. In the past, there have been many award categories, including "best dressed fruitcake." Weight classes have been designated because in the early days of this contest, some fruitcake tossers added gravel to their recipes for fruitcakes that would travel further.

Sally, the innkeeper at Blue Skies Inn, (www.blueskiesinn.com) has an art degree. How does that factor into an event that features engineering and physical prowess? Someone needed to create a totally unofficial, tremendously silly mascot, so she created Mr. Fruitcake. Yes, there is a bit of engineering in his design, so Sally used her building construction skills to make a wooden framework which supports a fruitcake made of artist’s canvas - all the better to paint with giant candied fruit and nuts. We took a photo for you with the giant fruitcake being pulled from an oven, just to simulate the "real" cooking process.

To complete the costume, the performer (whomever can be talked into being a dancing fruitcake for the day) dons a black hooded sweatshirt and black jeans under the fruitcake costume. A pair of nice yellow leather gloves complete the Winter ensemble.
Mr. Fruitcake can be helpful by fetching fruitcake missives gone astray, but he also likes to tease the fruitcake tossers, pantomiming their particular launching styles. It’s an ego trip, too, as many young ladies and children clamor to have their photos taken with Mr. Fruitcake who generously gives his autograph to all who ask. We have heard that he is already busy practicing his dance moves for this year’s Toss.
Hope to see you on January 14^th - ask for the $20 lodging discount at Blue Skies Inn. Bring a fruitcake if you have one, or borrow one from us.

Dance, Mr. Fruitcake, dance!!

[Originally published by Sally, January, 2012]