Shane Richards, of Lake Region Design & Fabrication, Raymond, Beside (R) his Aluminium Replica of a Snowflake Near theTicket Booth in the Cutter Street Parking Lot on Munjoy Hill. Richards Built it Two Years Ago for the First Winter Carnaval. At Night It’s Lit up in Dramatic Colors.
Snow Had to be Trucked in for the Event. A source Said the Temperature was Not Cold Enough to Make Snow. Some Exact Sources of Snow Are Unknown. Environmental Concerns be Dammed, Right City Hall?
A Tent With a Stage Inside Where the Opening Cockatil Party Will be Held This Evening Starting at 7:00 pm at $70. per Person Over 21. This Tent Had to be Tied to Trucks Yesterday to Keep it from “BLowing into Casco Bay.”
Quinn Fogarty, Sunday River Parks Manager, at the Winter Carnaval Site Today.
Springish weather is playing havoc with preparations for the second Winter Carnaval on the Eastern Promenade at the base of Munjoy Hill. The Carnaval starts today, Thursday, February 17th and runs through February 26, 2022.
Lack of snow fall in Maine, strong winds, temperatures in the mid-50s and a forecast of rain tonight and tomorrow have played havoc with the preparation of the winter carnaval for the organizers and their consultants.
The snow fall in Maine has been unusually low this season. Many believe that the shortage is because of climate change. The Eastern Promenade, that in most years is covered with snow this time of the year, has been bare and brown much of the winter.
That shortage has forced Carnaval organizers to truck-in snow from other sources needed for ski jumping. Earlier this week, snow from Portland parking lots was trucked in. Later in the week, it was trucked in from nearby interior towns such as Windham and who knows where else. Environmental concerns be dammed!
“We are using snow cats to pack down the snow,” said Quinn Fogarty, Sunday River Parks Manager, this afternoon. Fogarty said that a “couple thousand yards” of snow had been trucked in. The snow cats were rented from another company.
The Portland temperatures that exceeded 50 degrees today have caused some melting Fogarty said. Forecasted rain for tonight and tomorrow with continued warmish temperatures will only add to the melting.
Five tents were supplied for the event by Party Rental, according to Mark Tibbetts, company owner. Yesterday the winds in the area were so strong that the tents needed to be tied to trucks to keep them from “blowing into Casco Bay” said an employee of Green Tree Event Consultants, Saco. He was busy placing concrete blocks around the above left tent should the wind become that strong again during the upcoming Carnaval. The city of Portland supplied massive concrete blocks to assist in keeping tents from flying away during the too long Carnaval.
These weather issues are not new to the event organizers, however. Two years ago in 2020 when the first event was held from January 3 – February 2nd. lack of snow on the Eastern Promenade was also an issue. For more background information on that event, please visit post herein dated December 7, 2019.
Brion Corcoran, founder of Carnaval Maine, is married to Melissa Smith, CEO of WEX. Small world, isn’t it?!
General admission tickets not purchased in advance of the Carnaval have been increased to $20.00 from $15.00 according to the signage on the ticket booth.
Don’t you think Thompson’s Point would be a great place for the next Winter Carnavail?