Ah, Whitefish Winter Carnival. It’s that magical time of year sandwiched between the holiday stress and the blooming of spring.

Beginning with the Merry Maker in January, the season includes two Coronations, a Disco Party and skijoring (which, for the uninitiated, is a sporting event where horses pull skiers through a race course). It involves a Royal Court, Vikings, Penguins, and of course, Yetis.

It’s a fun and frivolous time for a community to come together and celebrate winter, history and the joys of life in Whitefish.

This year’s theme is “Super Bowl Whitefish,” with Carnival weekend falling the same weekend as the NFL’s Super Bowl 50 between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers. There will no doubt be many jerseys seen around the Flathead Valley all weekend, which fits right in with the Carnival fun.

And, interestingly enough, there have been more Whitefish Winter Carnivals than Super Bowls.

As the weekend nears, the feud between the Royalty and the Yetis has heated up. The Yetis are infamous troublemakers, who speak a language all their own.

I happened to run into a few Yetis this week. While they don’t normally converse with humans, I was able to convince them (with the help of a Yeti translator) to tell me about the coming festivities.

The trio was enjoying a game of football on Central Avenue, so I assumed they would be excited about this year’s theme.

“The theme doesn’t really matter, it’s all fun,” said one Yeti, with the others in agreement. “Getting into mischief is always fun.”

“Except dogs don’t like us,” another Yeti added.

Part of the fun each year is following the feud between the Royalty and the Yetis. As of Tuesday the Yetis still had possession of Prime Minister Joe Akey’s sword, which is an article of protection for the kingdom.

Interested subjects can follow the feuding online. The Yetis have entered the age of technology and frequently post videos with demands to the Winter Carnival Facebook page at www.facebook.com/whitefishwintercarnival.

“It gives more people the chance to follow the storyline,” the tallest Yeti commented. “It’s keeping up with the age.”

The culmination of Carnival is this weekend, Feb. 5-7. There’s a Gala on Friday; the Penguin Plunge, Pie Social and Grand Parade on Saturday; topped off with a Pancake Breakfast on Sunday.

You’ll have just enough time to recover for your Super Bowl parties.

Most downtown Whitefish businesses, restaurants and bars will have special sales, entertainment and other events happening throughout the day Saturday. All of the daytime activities are appropriate fun for all ages.

Due to ongoing construction downtown, parking this weekend will be limited. Get there early and plan to do some walking. Carpooling is recommended, and drivers are reminded to observe all parking signs.

After dark, every stage downtown will feature either live entertainment or dance parties with DJs. These events are for adults older than 21.

If you still need a Carnival button (which is required for some events), the cost is only $4. Buttons are available at many downtown Whitefish businesses and at the Whitefish Chamber of Commerce, located at 307 Spokane Ave., Suite 103.

For more Whitefish Winter Carnival history or information on any of the weekend’s events, visit www.whitefishwintercarnival.com.

“Come down and have some fun,” said the Yetis.

Entertainment Editor Stefanie Thompson can be reached at 758-4439 or ThisWeek@dailyinterlake.com.