King Jace XVII has long been chosen. His famous costume, size 13 Chukka Boots and horn are ready-to-go. Woonsocket residents will soon have a chance to guess his identity via a list of clues and photos. The only problem is, it won't stop snowing.

The King Jace Contest is a unique and fun part of Woonsocket's annual Mardi Gras celebration. Every year, a local "Mystery Man" dons a costume and traipses about the city. 10 clues and 10 photos are released regarding his identity.

"The king must be very well known to anyone who pays attention to the local community," explained Dave Richards, owner and host of WOON Radio 1240. Richards is tasked each year with choosing the king, and releasing the relevant clues to the public.

According to Richards, the annual tradition, in which locals get the opportunity to guess the king's identity, has been slightly delayed as weather has made meeting up for pictures a bit difficult. 

The contest is used to raise funds for the grand Mardi Gras Ball, at which the king's identity will be revealed when he is unmasked by the Queen. To place a guess, participants must put the name of the suspect individual and one dollar in a sealed envelope and drop it off at one of three locations: WNRI on Diamond Hill Road, WOON on Park Avenue, or Harlequins Costumes on Main Street. All correct answers will be entered into a raffle, to be chosen at the end of the Ball.

Northern Rhode Island Council of the Arts organizes the yearly celebration which, in addition to the King Jace Contest and Mardi Gras Ball, consists of a Queen contest and a Children's Mardi Gras. The tradition has its roots in a Roman festival called the Saturnalia which celebrated the end of winter and the coming of spring. French settlers first established festivals, including parades and masked balls to celebrate the "Fat Tuesday" in Louisiana around 1857. 

Woonsocket's tradition was started by the Junior Chamber of Commerce in 1954. According to NRICA, the Jaycees' involvement gave the king of this "Mardi Gras of the North" his unique name and King Jace was born.

"The only part of King Jace that can be seen is his nose," Richards said. Years ago, participants had an advantage when they recognized the mystery man's shoes. Now the shoes - size 13 Chukka Boots - are a repeating element of the costume.

In addition to the clues and photos, anyone who can get an audience with the king is welcomed to ask him questions. He cannot speak, but will answer with honks of his horn. "One honk means yes, two honks means no and three honks means he can't answer," Richards said.

Richards is scheduled to be out with King Jace sometime later this week, taking photos at various city landmarks. Soon thereafter, the clues and pictures will be published here on Patch and elsewhere.

"The clues are designed to be both revealing and misleading," Richards said. And to make the contest even more competitive, an occasional substitute king may run amok, answering the questions as himself and effectively disguising the true king's identity.

The Queen of the Ball will be crowned on Sunday, Feb. 20 at The Cakery on Main Street. See Michelle Couchon's article for information on the Queen contest, and to learn more about the history of Mardi Gras in Woonsocket.

The Children's Mardi Gras for kids ages 4 through 9 will be held on Feb. 26,  starting at 2 p.m. at the Museum of Work and Culture. The free event is open to the first 60 children who show up and will include food, games, prizes and a movie.

The Mardi Gras Ball will be held later that evening at the Father Marot CYO Center on Federal Street. The  event will run from 6 p.m. until midnight and will include a cajun buffet, and two Zydeco bands. Tickets are $25 (payable by check, credit or debit card,) and can be purchased by calling Lorraine Cloutier at 762-9072.