The 2012 St. Paul Winter Carnival had a soft opening Friday night with a set of four commemorative buttons unveiled at a public ceremony in Rice Park.
The unveiling comes about two months before the 126th carnival kicks off in downtown St. Paul on Jan. 26. Next year’s event runs through Feb. 5.
St. Paul artist David Witt said he used ink and watercolor to depict totems of the carnival characters – including the scepter of King Boreas, a Vulcan torch and Klondike Kate’s microphone – with the backgrounds designed “to represent the essence, or energy, behind each order.”
Buttons are available for $5 apiece or $19 for a set at Cub Foods and SuperAmerica stores, other area retailers and on the Winter Carnival website, winter-carnival.com.
Copyright 2011 Pioneer Press.