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Marie Makes Everyone Smile [UPDATED]
Published 12:54pm Friday, November 9, 2012 Updated 12:54pm Friday, November 9, 2012She has shared so many stories from the time a policeman stopped her and she couldn’t find her driver’s license in her car to the time she attended a teleconference and spent time applying her makeup while she was waiting for it to start, only to realize it had started.
Marie grew up in a large family in Kimball, MN and has lived in Ashby for the last 20 years or so, raising three children and now enjoying her grandchildren. Marie works for the Minnesota Workforce Center as a job counselor with programs such as Welfare to Work, Dislocated Worker Program and Unemployment Program.
One of the events Marie has participated in is the “I Love Lucy Look-A-Like Contest” during the Grape Stomp held at Carlos Creek Winery. The contestants dress up like Lucy and Ethel from the famous grape-stomping episode on “I Love Lucy” and reenact this famous scene. Winners are chosen by audience applause. Marie and her friend, Dawn Saxton, have participated in the competition 3 times. Marie has also attended the Grape Stomp dressed up as Lucy and enjoys interacting with the crowd without participating in the competition.
Carlos Creek Winery is located north of Alexandria on County Road 4. The winery has held the Grape Stomp since 2000. The event is usually held mid September with around 17,000 attendants over a three day period. They’ve had from 1 to 5 teams for the actual Lucy contest. They don’t always hold the competition but will hire actresses or have the previous year’s winners do the reenactment.
The winery also holds a Grape Stomping Competition each of the 3 days of the festival with 640 participating in 2012! Each two person team is charged $25 to stomp grapes and this year the winery dedicated all of the registration fees they received on Sunday to the local community theater and called it “Stomp for a Cause.” They raised $1700 for this group! For the last heat of the festival on Sunday, they invited 8 Douglas County nonprofits to compete for the right to receive 2013 Stomp for the Cause proceeds. The Alexandria Youth Hockey Association won. Winery president, Tami Bredeson, noted” they didn’t even use skates!”
Many activities are held during the grape stomp including live music, vendors, food and of course, wine tasting! For more information, go to their web-site: www.carloscreekwinery.com.
