Having enough snow to showcase the activities related to the annual Snofest in Old Forge is always a concern for sponsoring organization Central Adirondack Association when planning the event from year to year.
But this season’s extremely cold temperatures kept the ground covered in white, assuring that folks who came to town on March 7, 8, and 9 to get a first look at 2015 snowmobile gear and test drive the sleds they hope to be riding next winter, would not be disappointed.
Laurie Barkauskas, event coordinator for CAA, said attendance numbers were comparable to last year’s, with long lines of snowmobile enthusiasts waiting their opportunity to take a ride on the trails on a spanking-new Arctic Cat, Polaris, SkiDoo, or Yamaha sled.
“People were loving the demo rides. I think they were surprised that they actually went for a ride on the snowmobile trails—not just a spin around the venue. And the trails were in great condition. We have to give a big shout-out to our trail maintenance crew,” she said.
New to the entertainment roster this year were helicopter rides provided by North Country Heli-flight, which Barkauskas said turned out to be an incredible success with lines of visitors and local residents enjoying a birds-eye view of the area.
“The Snofest committee is researching other new outdoor-related activities that can be enjoyed by families as well as snowmobilers at future events,” she said.