The Northport Winter Carnival has always been a celebration of family-friendly events, such as at the cardboard sled races, and the unusual, like the outhouse races.

This year, there’s even more celebrating planned as the dedication and opening of the new Nagonaba Trail will take place at 11 a.m. at the Braman Hill Recreational Area entrance.

The carnival is the sixth one sponsored by the Northport-Omena Chamber of Commerce, and will feature a host of events that includes a chili contest and snowmobile poker run.

The dedication of the trail will begin with remarks from Andy Thomas of Northport, with a Native American blessing of the pathway to follow. The trail will then be officially opened with a ribbon cutting and unveiling of a trail sign.

Thomas served on a committee that formed during the Future by Design planning meetings held during 2008. Thomas said creation of a pedestrian path that connected the west end of Nagonaba Street to Morning Star Drive at Braman Hill was heavily supported by residents who attended planning meetings.

“This is something we’ve been working on for two years. We started in the fall of 2008 with the Future by Design meeting and worked on it as committee since then to get the trail established,” Thomas said.

Phil VonVoigtlander, Ray and Nancy Swink, Doug and Lisa Drummond, Jone Antennuci, and Phil Mikesell, all of Northport, worked with Thomas on getting the trail established. The committee is already working on the second and third phases of a trail system that will eventually loop around Braman Hill and provide a scenic pathway for people to tread.

Also starting at 11 a.m. is registration for the snowmobile poker run. Registration forms for the poker run, chili contest, milk-jug curling, broom ball, the Race the Face snowshoe race and outhouse race are available at Scott’s Filling Station, Northport Fitness and the Huntington Bank branch in Northport.

The poker run begins and ends at Braman Hill. Racers will proceed to five stops in the countryside both north and south of Northport to pick up their cards. Those who return to Braman Hill by 3 p.m. after making all five stops will be eligible for prizes.

Cook-off entrants should bring at least six quarts of their chili to the warming hut area at Braman Hill, starting at 11:45 a.m. The contest starts at noon and goes until chili runs out. There are five categories in which to compete: traditional, combustible, wild game, vegetarian and white. Tasters will vote for their favorite chili and a $50 prize will be awarded in each category for best liked. Last year there were 20 entries and this year the vegetarian category was added.

The milk jug curling competition starts at 11:30 a.m. on the ice rink at Braman Hill, with broom ball beginning at noon.

The Race the Face snowshoe race has competitors racing up the face of Braman Hill, running across the top, then running down to the bottom to the finish line. Last year, Emily Stowe placed first and Shauna Sitarek was second in the women’s race, while Jim Rogers took top honors and Jack Knoll was runner-up in the men’s race.

Music will be provided by the Brotherz Groove from 1 to 4 p.m. At 2 p.m., Northport Public School students will compete in the cardboard sled race. Each grade will have at least one sled to send down the face of Braman Hill.

The Northport Promise Winter Warm-Up Raffle drawing will be held at 3 p.m. Proceeds from the raffle will go to the Northport Promise Scholarship program. Tickets are $10 each, and the prizes are:

• First place, a $2,000 gift certificate to Tom’s Markets.

• Second, $1,000 cash.

• Third, $500 in propane gas from Leelanau Propane.

• Fourth, a $300 Hardrock Mountain Bike.

• Fifth, a $250 gift certificate for services from West Bay Oil Change.

The outhouse race commences at 3:15 p.m. Unlike in past events, this year’s race will take same-day registrations with the understanding that if outhouse does not pass inspection it will not be allowed in the race. Safety standards for the outhouse racers are attached to the entry form, so those new to the competitions should pick up their forms early.

The festival wraps up at 4 p.m.

Go to www.northportomenaevents.com for more information about this event.