AUBURN — Organizers of the city’s Winter Festival have scrapped plans for a three-day ice hockey tournament — a victim of Monday’s rain and Tuesday’s warm weather.
Auburn Recreation Department Director Ravi Sharma said organizers have canceled all the events at New Auburn’s Walton Field scheduled for this weekend because of the unseasonably warm weather.
“The rain and Tuesday’s warm weather really did a number on us,” Sharma said. “The thing is, looking at next week’s forecast, we’re not sure we’d be able to do much better.”
The ice hockey tournament was scheduled to kick off at 4 p.m. Friday, pitting teams of three against each other. It was scheduled to continue Saturday with championship finals set for Sunday afternoon. This year’s event was sponsored by Tim Hortons.
Sharma said the tournament was set to be played on the ice surface at Walton Field, not a pond. That’s simply a snow-covered field soaked with water until it freezes. It’s groomed and treated like an ice rink, under normal conditions.
Monday’s rain and Tuesday’s 51-degree temperature ruined the surface, however.
“There’s no way we’d be able to get it back in shape before this weekend, and possibly next weekend,” Sharma said.
Walton Field was also supposed to host ice skating Saturday night. That’s been canceled as well.
Sharma said events scheduled for Lost Valley on Friday, Saturday and Sunday, Lake Auburn on Saturday and Mt. Apatite on Saturday were unchanged.
Organizers were leaving events scheduled for the first weekend in February on the schedule for now. That includes a snow playground and ice skating at Walton Field.
“Hopefully, it will get cold enough next week we can get that surface back in shape,” Sharma said.
View Auburn Winter Festival 2012 Event locations in a larger map
Auburn Winter Festival schedule of events
Schedule is subject to change without notice.
Friday, Jan. 27
* Ski free Friday, 5-9 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Middle School ski race, 5 p.m., Lost Valley.
* Classic rock with Brookside Blues Band, 8 p.m. at Lost Valley.
Saturday, Jan. 28
* $25 lift tickets 9 a.m. to 5 p.m at Lost Valley.
* Andy Valley Sno Gypsies open house, 10 a.m. to noon at Mount Apatite.
* Snowshoeing, 10 a.m. to noon at Mount Apatite.
* Perkins Ridge Snowmobile ride to Lost Valley and brunch, 11 a.m.
* Snow-rafting rides for $2 each or three rides for $5, noon to 4 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Movie, “The Tale of Despereaux,” 1-3 p.m. at Auburn Public Library.
* Snowmobile ride on local trails, to begin at Andy Valley Club House, 1 p.m.
* Teen Night $13 lift tickets, $13 rentals, 5-9 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Big-air competitions, 6-7 p.m at Lost Valley. Registration closes at 4 p.m.
Sunday, Jan. 29
* USASA Maine Mountain Series slope-style event, 8 a.m., Lost Valley.
* Groomer rides, 8:30-10 a.m. at Lost Valley.
* Snow-rafting rides for $2 each or three rides for $5, noon to 4 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Maine Ski Challenge slalom races 1-3 p.m. at Lost Valley. $4 registration with lift ticket.
* Cross-country skiing, pond-skating, dog-sledding and snowshoeing around Lake Auburn, 2-7 p.m. Coffee, warming fire and hot chocolate will be at 207 N. Auburn Road. Parking at both ends of Whitman Spring Road and at 207 and 115 N. Auburn Road.
* Public skating, 1:45-3:45 p.m. at Ingersoll Arena, $4 students; $3 seniors
Monday, Jan. 30
* $18 lift ticket at Lost Valley with a current ticket from another ski area, 2:30-8 p.m.
Tuesday, Jan. 31
* Buy one all-day lift ticket, get one free at Lost Valley, 2-8:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 1
* Buy one all-day lift ticket, get one free at Lost Valley, 2-8:30 p.m.
Thursday, Feb. 2
* Winter stories and crafts, hot chocolate, 10-11 a.m. at the Auburn Public Library.
Friday, Feb. 3
* Bonfire and sledding, snowmobile/groomer rides, hot chocolate and s’mores, 5-8 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Free lift tickets, sponsored by L-A Harley and Lee Auto, Lost Valley.
* Rock with Under the Covers, 8 p.m. at Lost Valley.
Saturday, Feb. 4
* Taylor Pond ice-fishing derby, 6 a.m to 3 p.m., Taylor Pond.
* Ice-sculpture creations demo, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* $25 lift ticket and rentals 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Walton School events: Public skating, 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.; snow playground, 10 a.m. to dark; snowshoe walk to Huston Farm Field, 10 a.m.; public skating, bonfire, hot chocolate and coffee, 2-4 p.m.
*Cozy fleece hand-warmer DIY for teens and adults, 10 a.m. to noon, Auburn Public Library.
* Music by Nick Knowlton, 10 a.m. to close at Lost Valley.
* $1 face-painting for kids, noon, Lost Valley.
* Snow-rafting rides for $2 each or three rides for $5, noon to 4 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Jib Jam Competition, 1-3 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Children’s snow obstacle, 1-2 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Shovel races, 2-3 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Bonfire and sledding, hot chocolate and s’mores, 5-8 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Teen night: $13 lift tickets and rentals at Lost Valley.
* Moonlight snowshoe walk through Simard-Payne Memorial Park (formerly Railroad Park) in Lewiston, 6 p.m., with hot chocolate at Museum L-A.
* Rock with Under the Covers, 8 p.m. at Lost Valley
Sunday, Feb. 5
* Public skating, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. at Walton School.
* Music by Nick Knowlton, 9 a.m. to close at Lost Valley.
* Downhill mountain bike race, 9-11 a.m. at Lost Valley. $25 registration.
* Avalanche of mountain bikes, 11 a.m. at Lost Valley.
* Snow-rafting rides for $2 each or three rides for $5, noon to 4 p.m. at Lost Valley.
*Pre Super Bowl bash with free giveaways, noon to 3 p.m. at Lost Valley.
* Maine Ski Challenge slalom race, 1-4 p.m. at Lost Valley, $4 registration.
* Public skating, 1:45-3:45 p.m. at Ingersoll Arena.
* Public skating, bonfire, hot chocolate, 2-4 p.m. at Walton School.
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