SKOWHEGAN — Somerset SnowFest launches this weekend, the start of seven days of outdoor events in and around Skowhegan.

Events begin Saturday at Lake George Regional Park West, where a box sled derby for children is scheduled for 9 to 11 a.m.

The “Ice Hole World Championships” is to follow at Lake George East until 6:30 p.m.

Bigelow Brewing is set to offer a beer garden, beginning at 4 p.m. at Lake George West, ahead of a downhill kayak race, scheduled to begin at 6:30 p.m. Competitors in whitewater kayaks will zip down the hill at Lake George West.

“We are thrilled to bring Somerset SnowFest back for the fourth year,” said Kristina Cannon, executive director of Main Street Skowhegan. “Each year, we try to outdo ourselves, adding more activities and increasing the number of days the festival runs.”

SnowFest has events geared for all ages and is to wind down the following weekend with Skijor Skowhegan, the festival’s flagship event.

Skijor Skowhegan is expected to include about 50 teams this year and welcome back spectators after the COVID-19 pandemic forced organizers to host last year’s races without onlookers. Teams will compete for more than $2,000 in prizes, underwritten by Franklin Savings Bank.

Skijoring is a timed team race in which a horse and rider pull a snowboarder or Alpine skier around a groomed track. The event is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 26, at the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds at 33 Constitution Ave.

The event is free, although parking is $5 per automobile.

Skowhegan’s skijoring event is the first such event in Maine.

“The better the festival, the more people we can attract to Skowhegan, which will benefit our local businesses and the regional economy during the slowest retail season,” Cannon said.

SnowFest is scheduled to conclude Sunday, Feb. 27, with Kite Festival planned for Lake George Regional Park, followed by a winter triathlon sponsored by Redington-Fairview General Hospital. Competitors are to trek a 5-mile course that involves cross-country skiing, snowshoeing and fat tire bicycling.

SnowFest organizers said they expect visitors from across New England.

The festival is organized by Lake George Regional Park and Main Street Skowhegan, with the Hight Family of Dealerships leading the sponsorship this year.

A full schedule of SnowFest events can be found online — www.somersetsnowfest.org/schedule.

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