Each year the winter festivities in Rangeley get bigger and better!

This past weekend was a great example of it. We had the Paloozathon, the World Record Ride for Cystic Fibrosis, the 5th Annual Winterpaloozah, the Rangeley Public Library Spaghetti Supper, new release movies at the Rangeley Lakeside Theater, live music all around town and to really top it off a welcome back Saddleback celebration!

It was no surprise to see Margaret White as live auctioneer at Bald Mountain Camps to raise money for the World Record Ride for Cystic Fibrosis. She always seems to be wherever she needs to be working hard to raise money for a great cause. She did a great job as usual.

Which reminds me. All of these local events take dozens of volunteers and many hands make light work so if you can spare some time next year please get involved.

However, if you don’t have time or unable to volunteer, you can certainly help in other ways. Generous people like Patti and Pat Butler showed up even though they didn’t ride this year. Pat Butler, “It’s just a great cause and a fun time. Bald Mountain Camps I think does a great job organizing it and it’s a fun day.”

Jim Milligan organizer of the event, running it for eight years now was happy with the success of the event. Even though ridership was low due to the sub zero degree temperatures, monies raised exceeded those from previous years. “We’re gonna break 40k. Last year we did 32k. So I’m thinking probably 50k (this year). We’re gonna knock the socks off it this year.”

If you have been going to some of these events in the past you know that the turn out is growing and word must be catching on that Rangeley is a great place to visit in February. I was amazed at the turn out for the cardboard box sled race for the kids at Winterpaloozah. There was more than 100 people watching! I remember back when it was just a dozen, ha ha.

Verna Holman of the Rangeley Lakes Chamber of Commerce agreed. “Truly we thought it was very successful this year and we certainly thought we had more participation. You know, more people enjoying the free activities, plus the competitions”.

One competition that was not even in existence at the Winterpaloozah a handful of years ago was the fat bike race. Winner of the fat bike race, Dustin Duchesne has only been enjoying fat biking for about four years. “It really took off about the time AJ’s came to town. It was starting to boom in the world news. Now it has become a world wide phenomenon”.

Not only are the events growing in numbers but the town folk are getting more creative. Did you get a chance to see the Saddleback sculpture in Oquossoc? Mike Koob of Koob’s Garage came up with this great idea. “I just wanted a pile of snow. You know me I just get these crazy ideas. I guess it’s gone viral huh?”

Other fun ideas seem to go catch on as well. I remember enjoying the ice bar at Forks in the Air last year, but this year they were also at Sarge’s Pub & Grub, Portage Tap House and Bald Mountain Camps. Lucky for us Rangeley lovers, these fun winter ideas tend to snowball!

Want to see more photos? Check out our Facebook Page! @rangeley.highlander