Ed Jarrett said it was a natural fit for the annual Maine Winter Fest – a snow and ice sculpting contest and exhibit – to join forces with the annual Derby Fest held on Sebago Lake at the end of February.
“We merged because this is a central location that gives us better access to lake ice,” said Jarrett, president of the Maine Snow and Ice Sculpting Foundation. The last seven Maine Winter Fest events have been held on the coast, in either Falmouth or Freeport.
“Plus, after five years of 50-degree weather in January, I’m glad to be out near the lake, where it’s generally colder and doing it later in the winter,” Jarrett said.
Derby Fest organizer Tom Noonan said of the joint festival, “We were made for each other. We have matching long-term goals. We’re trying to build a festival that everyone will know about. The two of us together are stronger.”
Noonan said he and Jarrett are hoping to make the newly named Maine Winter Fest and Derby into such a large event that it will compete with the Winter Carnival held in Quebec, Canada every year.
“There’s certainly nothing like it in Southern Maine,” he said. The Maine Winter Fest and Derby will be held at the Point Sebago Resort in Casco over the weekend of Feb. 24 and 25.
In addition to the traditional Derby Fest events, such as snowmobile, cross-country ski and snowshoe races, there will also be an interactive giant dragon ice sculpture, ice games and a snow and ice sculpting contest and exhibit.
Even if there is no natural snow or ice available at the end of February, Jarrett and Noonan have arranged for the construction of a 144-foot long refrigerated tent, which will house all the snow and ice sculptures.
People coming to the festival will also get a chance to play ice miniature golf and learn how to ice sculpt themselves. Fifteen professional ice carvers are coming to the Maine Winter Fest and Derby from all across the country.
In addition to creating their own ice sculptures, the professional carvers will work with families at Camp Sunshine, which is in session the week of the festival, to help them build an original ice sculpture of their own.
The second annual Maine State Snow Sculpting Championship will be held on Feb. 17 and 18 at L.L. Bean in Freeport. The winners from that contest will then display their sculptures at the Maine Winter Fest and Derby, which will be held the following weekend.
Go online to www.icefishingderby.com, for more information about all the events and activities and how to register to fish.
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