It has not been the snowiest of winters, but Somerset SnowFest will go on. The eight-day celebration kicks off Friday, and while the lack of snow led to the cancellation of two events, the rest of the activities are unaffected, including skijoring, shown here at Snowfest in 2019. Maine Mountain Media photo
SKOWHEGAN — Snowfall may be lacking this winter in Maine, but organizers of the sixth annual Somerset SnowFest are ready to make the most what is left on the ground.
According to Kristina Cannon, president and CEO of the nonprofit Main Street Skowhegan, an estimated 4,000 people are expected to attend the week of wintery events, which kicks off Friday evening and runs for eight days.
Poor trail conditions at Lake George Regional Park, which straddles Skowhegan and Canaan, forced organizers to cancel the biathlon and triathlon competitions, Cannon said. But otherwise, the rest of the week’s scheduled activities should be unaffected, including the flagship event, Skijor Skowhegan, on Saturday, Feb. 24.
Cannon said there is enough snow at the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds for a groomer to build the track for the competition, in which a horse and rider pull a skier or snowboarder through a course of gates and jumps.
“If we don’t get 70 degrees between now and next weekend, we should be fine,” Cannon said.
Other activities during the festival, organized by Main Street Skowhegan and Lake George Regional Park, include an ice fishing derby, a downhill kayak race and a yeti-themed scavenger hunt. The full schedule of events can be found at somersetsnowfest.org.
Temperatures in the Skowhegan area are forecasted to remain cold during the next week with daily highs right around the freezing mark, according to the National Weather Service. A long-range forecast shows a chance for snow between next Thursday and Saturday.
That is all good news for local businesses, which rely on the event to draw in customers during a typically slower time of the year, according to Cannon.
“Generally speaking, this SnowFest represents the best weekend … of the winter for our local businesses in Skowhegan,” Cannon said.
All events are free to attend and open to the public, though some require registration in advance. Parking at the Skowhegan State Fairgrounds for the skijoring event costs $20 per vehicle.
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