Assembled Carousel of Smiles to be unveiled next month

By Lyndsie Kiebert
Reader Staff Writer

The Carousel of Smiles restoration project will reveal the assembled but unrestored carousel Dec. 16 and 17 at the Bonner County Fairgrounds.

Saturday, Dec. 16, will kick off the weekend with doors opening at 1 p.m. and the official reveal at 2 p.m. Attendees can see the carousel up close, browse exhibits and enjoy hot cocoa and cookies.

Sunday, Dec. 17, is a public open house from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and will feature the same activities as Saturday, sans the reveal.

In restoring the 1920s carousel, Clay and Reno Hutchison hope to bring to Sandpoint the joy they’ve found in exploring carousels across the U.S. Next month’s unveiling is a chance for others in the community to get involved in the restoration project.

“We need a little magic in our lives and in our community,” Reno told the Reader last November. “I think carousels can do that; they can provide a little much-needed magic.”