Lasts years inaugural SnowBowl created by Spud Speedway well exceeded expectations. Over 8,000 people participated in the winter celebration held in Caribou, Maine in March of 2023. 631,000 followed on social media in the month leading up to the event. People from near and far came to the County, from all over New England, Canada and beyond. It was clear to event organizers Jim Gamage & Troy Haney that this event had the ability to showcase Aroostook County in all of it’s winter glory for years to come.
The challenge was how to grow the event and showcase more of what the County had to offer. Organizers looked at what other locations or events could be added to the 2nd annual SnowBowl for 2024. A few ideas were clear must do add on’s. Big Rock Mountain in Mars Hill and The CanAm Dog Sled races in Fort Kent. After discussions with Travis Kearney and Aaron Damon of Big Rock’s management team, it was agreed upon that the 2nd annual SnowBowl would kickoff by hosting a snowmobile hill climb race under the lights on Wednesday, February 28th at Big Rock. Spectators will watch as snowmobilers compete while also enjoying local food trucks, a bon fire, a beer tent and music.
CanAm organizers Dennis Cyr and Andrew Birden also agreed to partner up and bring more awareness to each others events, giving visitors a full gamut of events and locations around Aroostook county. CanAm racers will take off early Saturday morning (March 2nd) in downtown Fort Kent. Snowmobilers can watch teams pass along the Heritage Trail at designated check points in Portage and the Allagash, showcasing northern and western Aroostook County, and then watch racers cross the finish line at Lonesome Pines Ski Lodge in Fort Kent.
A partnership with Brian’s Ride Cancer Fund also continues this year with a guided snowmobile ride on Friday, March 1st. Showcasing the ride will be stops at the former Loring Air Force Base in Limestone, where riders get a private tour inside the iconic B 52 arch hangar, then continuing up the US/Canadian Border Trail to Van Buren for a traditional county hot lunch of chicken stew, ployes, poutine, chili and red hot dogs, provided by the Gateway Snowmobile Club. After lunch, Van Buren’s Town Manager Luke Dyer has worked hard to help create a private ride to an overlook that is only being opened for this special ride to help showcase the beauty of Van Buren with a bird’s eye view of the entire St. John Valley. Riders will then take a scenic ride back to Spud Speedway in Caribou.
Friday evening, March 1st will feature a new indoor event at the Caribou Performing Arts Center. Las Vegas phenomenon, Kent Axell, a mind reader and magician, will wow the audience with his captivating entertainment leaving the audience wondering, how’d he do that?!
The city of Caribou also gets involved in the fun with a community wide snowman building competition. Last year, snowmen popped up all over Caribou, both residentially and commercially for a chance to win a prize. The elementary school got in the spirit and lined Bennett Drive with dozens of snowmen created by K-8th grade students. This years competition should be even grander.
Spud Speedway will again feature the Rave-X stunt show and the Northeast SnoCross racing team on March 2nd & 3rd. Rave-X stunt men will wow the audience performing a variety of tricks including flipping two snowmobiles up side down. The racers of Northeast SnoCross will construct and race on an intricate snow track consisting of big jumps and banked corners at break neck speed, pushing their skills and sleds to the max. There will be open registration for those who would like to enter and race in various classes. Throughout the weekend, Spud Speedway will have a vintage snowmobile show, a groomer rodeo, vendors selling a wide variety of items including snowmobiles, trailers, gear, and more. Local food trucks, a beer garden and music will keep the entertainment flowing. Arctic Cat, Polaris, Yamaha and Ski-Doo dealers will offer snowmobile and snow bike demo rides. More events and features may be added as the SnowBowl takes shape for 2024.
Collectively, this is a major step forward as multiple communities are working together to create a SnowBowl winter celebration that is sure to provide fun for everyone and bring tourists into all communities. This helps in filling hotels, Air BNB rentals, restaurants, gas stations, and shops creating a much needed economic boost to Aroostook County. A win-win for all of Aroostook County.
For event schedules or more event information visit www.caribousnowbowl.com
