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Auburn’s Winter Festival, ‘No Snow, No Problem’

From City of Auburn

AUBURN – No snow? No problem!

Auburn’s annual Winter Festival took place this past weekend, and with the focus on finding outdoor winter activities all winter long, it didn’t matter if there was snow or not.

Residents and visitors are encouraged to get out and enjoy the beauty of Auburn in winter.

Nels David Adler hangs onto the hand of his dad, Brian Shanker Adler of Portland, as he learns to ski on the beginner slope at Lost Valley ski area in Auburn last week. (Tsukroff photo)

“There is plenty to do outdoors in Maine – with or without snow,” said Auburn Recreation Director Sabrina Best. “And we encourage outdoor recreation in our city, especially all the various trail systems.” Lost Valley, the Lake Auburn Community Center, Mount Apatite and others all offer a variety of trail systems perfect for hiking, snowmobiling, fat tire biking and much more.

Winter Festival 2021 kicked off last Friday with a “Virtual Story Time” presented by the Auburn Public Library at 10:00am on their Facebook Page: facebook.com/auburnpubliclibrary. The Library also sponsored the Auburn Storywalk last weekend. Storywalk is a series of display cases in downtown Auburn, stretching along the Riverwalk from Bonney Park to Festival Plaza.

Lost Valley is a wonderful place to visit during winter months, offering traditional outdoor trail systems for downhill and cross-country skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing and more. Even though there may not be snow on most trails in Auburn right now, Lost Valley has snow and the team there is ready for some WinterFest fun.

“Lost Valley has been making snow for a week straight,” said Travis Dow from Dow Media, LLC. “We’re open daily, including this Friday from noon to 8:00PM and Saturday and Sunday from 9:00AM to 4:00PM for skiing & snowboarding. Come out and play!”

“This year’s WinterFest theme has changed a bit,” said Best. “Instead of events during one specific weekend, we are promoting trails and outdoor recreation all winter long.” There are a several opportunities for group exploring; all will follow Maine CDC guidelines and requirements.

A Tree and Bird Identification Walk took place Sunday at Pettengill Park Trail system, presented by the Auburn Conservation Commission/Community Forest Subcommittee.

Cooper Warner of Gorham works his way down the slope at Lost Valley ski area in Auburn at the start of Auburn’s Winter Festival last Friday. (Tsukroff photo)

Dog Sledding, a Guided Nature Snowshoe Tour, and snowshoeing are planned for Saturday, Feb. 27, and Sunday, Feb. from 1-4 p.m. at East Auburn Baptist Church. Pre-registration is required. Visit eabc.me/events or call 207-782-0348.

A guided winter hike took place at Mount Apatite on Saturday, starting at the Small Road entrance. The hike was presented by Friends of Mount Apatite. Ice spikes and walking sticks were optional.

Residents who want to try snowshoeing this winter but do not have the equipment are invited to borrow some through Auburn Recreation. The department has more than 30 pairs of snowshoes available for residents to borrow and use this winter. For information, call 333-6611.

Miles O-Brien of Topsham catches air on his snowboard on the slopes at Lost Valley ski and snowboard area in Auburn as Auburn’s Winter Festival 2021 kicked off last Friday. (Tsukroff photo)

“WinterFest is always a favorite here in Auburn,” said Liz Allen, Director of Communications for the city. “This year, we are especially pleased to offer an interactive ‘storymap,’ showcasing many local trail systems as well as our Winter Festival activities and venues.” This map will be left up all winter long and can be found at auburnmaine.gov or arcg.is/1rjuzT0.

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