Snowshoe tug-o-war is one of many activities held during the Norway Snowshoe Festival. Submitted photo

NORWAY — The Western Foothills Land Trust plans to kick off Winter Carnival week with the 11th annual Norway Snowshoe Festival.

The event will be held Saturday, Feb. 18, at the Roberts Farm Preserve, 58 Roberts Road.

Including a variety of family oriented races and activities, the day culminates with a contra dance at the Norway Grange that night. Celebrating Norway’s history as the Snowshoe Town of America, the festival is a welcoming event for participants and spectators alike, according to a news release from Kelli Shedd with the land trust.

Activities begin at 10 a.m. with 2K, 5K, and 10K snowshoe races with prizes for top women’s, men’s, and youth competitors. All registrants will be eligible to win one of six pairs of snowshoes to be raffled off.

Registration for the race will cost $5/$10 and $10/$15 onsite and can be found online at wfltmaine.org/programs.

The festival program also includes less rigorous activities like snoga (yoga on snowshoes) with Kat Larsen, family games on snowshoes (three-legged race, 100 yard dash, musical chairs, family pulk pull), team tug-o-war, corn toss biathlon, a snowshoe fashion show, and a guided snowshoe to cocoa served at the Preserve’s iconic view across Norway Lake.

All activities are on snowshoes; snowshoes are available for use on site.

Jesse Wall of Tru Strength Athletics snowshoes during a previous festival in Norway. Submitted photo

Norway Brewing Company will serve light snacks at the fire pit and Lucky Cat Food Truck will be onsite serving up Hong Kong bubble waffles and warm drinks.

The Norway Historical Society will be open from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., featuring a new exhibit, “Norway Maine: Snowshoe Town of America,” which showcases the society’s collection of historic snowshoes and photographs.

After a day outdoors, the festival continues with a contra dance 6-8 p.m. held at the Norway Grange, 15 Whitman St., featuring the musical talents of Bill Olson and Pam Weeks. The suggested donation at the door is $10 per person and $25 per family.

Recognized in 2012 by the Maine Downtown Center as a uniquely Maine festival, the Snowshoe Festival celebrates Norway’s rich cultural heritage of the arts (as in music), and crafts (as in snowshoe making).

Norway, once self-proclaimed as “The Snowshoe Town of America” was home to four major snowshoe industries between 1850 and 1980: Snowcraft, Tubbs, H.H.Hosmer and Mellie Dunham.

Dunham was not only the first commercial snowshoe maker in town, outfitting Admiral Peary’s expedition to the North Pole, he was also a renowned fiddler who was commissioned by Henry Ford to play traditional fiddle music across the country. In honor of Dunham’s talents, the Norway Snowshoe Festival always involves a contra dance in addition to athletic and family related outdoor snowshoe events.

This year’s festival sponsors include First Light Communications, True North Adventureware, Fiber & Vine, Norway Brewing Company, Oxbow Beer Garden, Tru Strength Athletics, Dolce Amici, and Norway Downtown.

The full schedule of events can be found at wfltmaine.org/snowshoe-festival.

For more information or to volunteer, email info@wfltmaine.org.

Check out other upcoming area events!