Bethel

Hundreds of people were at Festival Plaza on Saturday night for the Snowcano eruption.

Like many volcanic eruptions, this one was unpredictable. Scheduled for 6:30 p.m., sparks finally appeared out of the smoking mouth of the Snowcano at about 7:12. For those of us who were patient, it was worth the wait. Sunday morning the Snowcano was still smouldering and the snow was black from the eruption. The sledding hill will be back in operation on Saturday, Feb. 23. You need to bring your own sled. If you don’t have one, Brooks Bros. on Main Street has a variety of plastic snow sleds, saucers, and toboggans.

Bethel WinterFest continues through next weekend with activities throughout the area. There is a full schedule of events in the Citizen and also at www.bethelwinterfest.com. There are two events that I recommend. On Saturday, Feb 23, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., there are free snow groomer rides at Festival Park. The rides are given by Greenstock SnowSports, which maintains and grooms trails in this area. Snowmobiling is one of Maine’s biggest industries. This is the only place I know where you can get a free ride in a snow groomer and learn how the trails are maintained. The other special event is the RAILWARS, a rail jam that will take place on the side of the Snowcano on Saturday at 6 p.m.

There will be a Community Supper on Wednesday, Feb. 27, from 4:30 to 6 p.m. at the Bethel Alliance Church, 251 Walkers Mills Road, across from Telstar. Everyone is welcome. There is no charge.

If you have news you’d like to share, call me at 824-2483 or e-mail nancybrown1150@yahoo.com.