Two snowmobile racers take off during the 2011 Wawasee Kiwanis snowmobile drag races. This year’s snowmobile drags have already been rescheduled for Saturday, Feb. 2, and are dependent on ice conditions. A second alternative date has been set for Feb. 16. (File photo)

The Wawasee Kiwanis will be hosting the annual winter carnival Friday and Saturday, Jan. 25-26, starting with the soup supper from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. at the Syracuse Community Center. Those who stop by the soup supper will have the opportunity to sample from a number of gourmet soups before casting their vote for the best one. Cost is $5 person.

Soup entries are welcomed with entry forms being available online at www.wawaseekiwanis.org. Participants must prepare and supply 2 to 3 gallons of their best soup. All soups must be at the community center by 1 p.m. the day of the event. Prizes will be awarded based on the following categories: local restaurants, civic groups, local individuals and city offices.

The winter carnival dance, which is sponsored by the Wawasee Kiwanis and organized by the Syracuse-Wawasee Chamber of Commerce’s events task force committee, will follow the soup supper from 9 p.m. until midnight Friday, Jan. 25. It will be an adult dance, featuring area band 204. The Sleepy Owl will provide a cash bar and there will be snacks provided.

Tickets for the dance are on sale at the chamber office, 110  E. Main St., Syracuse. Pre-sale tickets are $10 per person; tickets sold at the door will be $12 per person. Proceeds will go toward community service projects in the Syracuse-Wawasee area.

The snowmobile drags, which were set for this Saturday, have already been postponed due to ice conditions. At least 8 inches of ice are needed. The event is now scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 2. A second alternative date for the snowmobile drags is Saturday, Feb. 16. Continue to check the Wawasee Kiwanis’ website for information about postponements and alternate dates.

Registration for the snowmobile drags will begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 10:30 a.m. at Syracuse Lakeside Park with the Radar Run and Kitty Kat Races beginning at 10 a.m. Cost is set at $15 per class with an award for winners in each of the classes. Lunch will be available on the beach during the races with hotdogs and sloppy Joes being available.

Proceeds from both events go toward Wawasee Kiwanis’ community projects, including the Harold Schrock Youth Complex and Riley Hospital for Children.

For information contact: Greg Long at (574) 529-0417, Bryan Finlinson at (574) 457-6454, or Pat Higgins at (574) 457-6699. Also visit www.wawaseekiwanis.org.