Come sledding in downtown Biddeford during WinterFest on Saturday

Get ready for some winter fun this weekend at WinterFest in downtown Biddeford.

WinterFest has been an annual tradition since 2012, and began with a vision from former mayor Alan Casavant. The festival hosts a variety of family-friendly activities, but the main attraction is the sledding hill on Adams Street.

Larry Patoine, owner of Larry Patoine Construction, helps oversee the construction of the snow hill in coordination with New Life Church.

On Thursday morning, Patoine and other volunteers were at the top of Adams Street at a traffic barrier, as truckloads of snow were being dumped on the hill and manicured into a slidable structure. Work on the hill had started at 7 a.m. that morning and would continue until the afternoon. Volunteers were scheduled the next day so that by Friday afternoon the hill would be ready for sledding on Saturday.

The majority of the snow, said Patoine, is trucked in from 5 Points Shopping Center, though this year mother nature will help with a fresh coating of new snow. There were some worries a few weeks ago that there might only be enough snow for the kiddie hill, said Church Lead Pastor Justin Sweeney, but the recent weather changed that.

“New Life Church has been on the ground floor of this since the beginning,” said Patoine, who, with Sweeney, is part of a committee that meets for months in advance to coordinate the event.

“At the heart of this, it’s a free event for kids and families,” said Sweeney. “All they have to do is show up. We provide the sleds and the fun.”

Sledding and other activities will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, coordinated by the church and the city’s recreation department. There will also be a stage set up with live performances.

Church members will also be on hand on Saturday serve free donuts, hot chocolate, hot dogs, chili and ‘walking tacos’.  Local restaurants have also donated pizza, and Walmart donated 32 bikes that will be raffled off.

“We have a group of ladies that knit literally all year long. We give away hundreds of hats and mittens,” said Sweeney.

Over the years, the temperature has ranged from bitter cold to a balmy 50 degrees on WinterFest, but no matter the weather, there is always a good crowd of young people at the festival enjoying some winter fun.

On Sunday, a team will come downtown and clear out the hill, and there will be no sign that Adams Street had been used as a sledding area.

Among those who also help with the construction of the hill are Thyng Paving, Peters Construction and Excavation, Phil Labbe Excavation, Dee Quality Foundations and Excavating, Builders Supply Inc. and Dead River. Without the help from businesses and volunteers, the snow hill would likely cost about $30,000 to construct, said Sweeney.

“It’s really a lot of businesses and people coming together to make this happen,” said Patoine, adding that Public Works Director Jeff Demers has been a great partner.

Building the sledding hill and help coordinating the festival is part of the way the church shows its love for the city, said Sweeney.

“This is just part of what we do. I feel like a city should be better because of the churches and Christians in it,” he said.

Those who want to take a break from outdoor activities on Saturday can go to the McArthur Library at 270 Main St. for “Cozy Crafts.”

Those who park at the Pearl Street parking garage can use code WF2025 on Feb. 8 for a 50% discount off the hourly rate.

Heart of Biddeford

Art of Biddeford, an initiative of Heart of Biddeford, will host an event at The Foundry at 30 Upper Falls Road, featuring a gallery, performances and a maker's faire from 11 a.m. - 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

“What’s Old is New Again,” a curated exhibition by local artist Julie K. Gray, will showcase works by Asherah Cinnamon, Laura Dunn, KJ Shows and Hannah Hirsch. Each artist utilizes re-purposed, gifted, and found materials and breathes new life and meaning into them.

Subcircle, a local dance company, will perform throughout the day on Saturday and from 3-4 p.m. on Sunday.

Heart of Biddeford will host a walking tour called “Sweets, Streets and Stories” at 2 p.m. Saturday, that culminates at The Foundry. The downtown tour will have stops at public art pieces, historical locations, and a few retail shops to fill up a specialty box of chocolates from Edelweiss Pastry Shop along the way. Tickets are available on EventBrite. Proceeds from tickets will help fund Art of Biddeford programs.

Publisher Liz Gotthelf can be reached at newsdesk@sacobaynews.com.