Grace LaBree of Vermont maneuvers her neon Mystery Machine through fresh snow Saturday during Snodeo’s Carboard Sled Race at Mingo Springs Golf Course in Rangeley. Dee Menear/Rangeley Highlander

RANGELEY — A blanket of fresh snow welcomed snowmobilers Saturday for the 42nd annual Snodeo.

Nearly a foot of new snow fell in the week leading up to the three-day event. Friday night saw even more snow, giving Saturday’s activities plenty of fresh powder.

The event is Rangeley Lakes Snowmobile Club’s largest fundraiser of the year. Money raised will help the club groom about 170 miles of snowmobile trails in the region, board member Chris Wargo said.

Thursday and Friday events included a Chili and Chowder Cookoff at Sarge’s Sports Pub and Grub, Casino Night at Rangeley Inn, and a live auction at Moose Alley.

Juniper Rice and Aspen Rice of Rangeley pose with their homemade sleds Saturday following the Cardboard Sled Race at Mingo Springs Golf Course in Rangeley. The race was part of the 42nd annual Snodeo’s three-day celebration. Dee Menear/Rangeley Highlander

Saturday kicked off with the kid’s cardboard sled race at Mingo Springs Golf Course.

“With the race scheduled to start at 9:30, I was nervous at 9:25 when there was only one sled here,” said organizer John “Gramps” Merriman.

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As if on queue, participants started arriving, towing their hand-crafted sleds decorated with the weekend’s neon ’90s theme. More than a dozen children traversed uphill for multiple runs downhill to see who would take home trophies for the Longest Run, Best Decorated and Best Crash.

Time after time, Grace LaBree and Blakely Cantin, both of Vermont, maneuvered their neon blue Mystery Machine the furthest and came out the clear winner in the Longest Run category. The Best Crash trophy went to Juniper Rice of Rangeley with her neon Dinosaur sled. Her sister, Aspen Rice, took the trophy for Best Decorated with a cheerfully decorated bus.

Vito Perla rushes to help his brother, Rocco Perla, both of Massachusetts, after a crash Saturday during the Snodeo Cardboard Sled Race at Mingo Springs Golf Course in Rangeley. Dee Menear/Rangeley Highlander

“This was a really good turn out,” Merriman said as he handed out medals for all participants.

Saturday’s main event, the RaveX Outer Limits Freestyle show, drew hundreds of spectators. Heavy wind paused the show several times but professional snowmobilers were able to get in a few aerial acrobatic stunts, much to the delight of the crowd.

Saturday’s events also included radar runs held at Bald Mountain Camps. Fireworks and a neon-themed parade were also scheduled for Saturday night to wrap up the festivities.

A professional snowmobiler with RaveX Outer Limits Freestyle Tour delights the crowd Saturday during Rangeley’s annual Snodeo. Dee Menear/Rangeley Highlander

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