BETHEL – One thousand or more people are expected to attend this weekend’s 30th annual New England Trappers Week-End, two days of animal trapping workshops and youth activities, followed on Sunday by a church service.

Neil D. Olson is hosting the event on Friday, Saturday and Sunday on his 10-acre property at 760 East Bethel Road.

“We usually have 1,000 to 2,000 people show up,” Olson said late Wednesday afternoon.

“One year back in the early ’90s, we had people from 26 different states and two provinces. Trapping was big back in those days,” he added.

Admission is $5 per adult and $5 per night camping.

Friday workshops run from 11 a.m. through 7:30 p.m., featuring trapping presentations about how one man caught 88 fishers, and snaring beaver. Also included are programs on fishers, water animals and bear trapping, and Dana “Creature Catcher” Johnson’s workshop on lures and bait.

Johnson will also conduct a Maine trappers educational course.

Saturday’s presentations include a bear trapping demonstration, talks on martens and fishers, trapping of coyotes and red foxes, bobcat trapping methods, one trapper talking about how he twice caught 100 mink, hooping beavers, on-the-spot skinning, and more.

Johnson will present a live trapping workshop from 11 to 11:50 a.m.

At 3 p.m., Olson said a children’s fishing contest begins, during which the youths have to make their own fishing pole.

Coon dog trials begin at 4 p.m., during which the hounds will chase a fake raccoon, he added.

Other activities include live band performances starting at 5 p.m. Friday and at 9:30 p.m. Saturday; a demonstration of a Uni-Mog backcountry vehicle, chain saw carving, many arts and crafts, and more. Antique traps can also be appraised.

Grace Fellowship Church Pastor Lloyd Waterhouse of West Paris, who is also a trapper, will provide Sunday’s church service, which starts at 8:30 a.m.

Food will be available Friday and Saturday night.

For more information, phone Olson at 875-5765. To register for Johnson’s educational course, phone Johnson at 646-5467.