CARIBOU, Maine — For the first time in three years, the city of Caribou will host a Winter Carnival aimed at getting people outside during the later part of the season.
The two-day carnival will take place March 19 and 20 and feature a variety of activities, including snow sculptures, roller skating and snowshoeing.
Winter Carnival was most recently held in 2019 and traditionally took place during the school district’s February break. But decreased attendance during the last few events prompted the Parks & Recreation to take a break from the carnival.
“COVID certainly didn’t help, but mainly it was because of a lack of participation,” Marquis said. “There are so many things going on during February break and we didn’t want to compete with that.”
After conversations with city officials, Parks & Recreation chose a weekend much later in the winter, one that they hope will draw more people.
Though the schedule is still being finalized, the department plans to include a broomball tournament, “snow soccer,” ice skating, sledding and snowshoeing at the high school ski trails. They also are planning several indoor activities, including bowling at the Caribou Bowl-A-Drome and roller skating at Melody Roller Rink.
A complete schedule of events will be released within the coming weeks. Caribou Parks & Recreation hopes to make Winter Carnival an annual event after this year.
With Caribou known for its long winters, having an event like Winter Carnival helps to showcase what the region has to offer for outdoor recreation, Marquis said.
“It gets people outside and enjoying the assets that we have, like our ski and snowshoe trails, our ice rink and the roller rink,” Marquis said.
