Presque Isle concludes first day of SnowFest at Community Center

PRESQUE ISLE, MAINE — Warm stew, live music and some fireworks were a great way to end the first day of Presque Isle’s County SnowFest.

The city of Presque Isle ended its first day of SnowFest on Friday, Jan. 28, by hosting the community inside the Sargent Community Center for warm chili and chicken stew served by volunteers from the Presque Isle Historical Society, accompanied by live acoustic tunes, as well as an antique snowmobile show inside the gymnasium. The evening was capped off by a fireworks show set off from the riverside pavilion.

Visitors met up and spoke with other local residents, turning a small room in the community center into a warm and welcoming environment for anyone new to the Star City. 

Derek Carlow and Joe King brought out their acoustic guitar and vocals, which filled the room with not only the delicious smell of food, but also welcoming music. The two are part of the band Unlucky Joe, and have played many acoustic shows in the Presque Isle area over the years. 

“Derek told us about this event, and we both wanted to come out and see what was going on,” Easton resident Leslie Carlow said. “It’s great to see some joy being brought into the community.”

Many of the antique snowmobiles inside the gym were provided by Scott Tompkins, who has amassed quite the collection of sleds from over the years. Many of Tompkins’ sleds have been produced in limited capacities, some of which are only two or three of a kind. 

The evening concluded with an explosive fireworks show set off from the Riverside Pavilion. The show lasted 25 minutes, setting off a dazzling array of colors into a chilly January sky. 

Snow Fest activities continued into Saturday and Sunday.