Feb. 29 is new date for Rockland carnival

ROCKLAND – Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.

The Rockland Rotary has rescheduled its annual Mid-Coast Winter Carnival for the second time in two weeks.

The festivities at Snow Marine Park are now set for 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 29, at the Mechanic Street park in the south end of the city – “only if we have some snow,” Rotary member Jim Brickel said Monday.

The Polar Plunge to raise money for Rockland District High School’s Project Graduation usually accompanies Winter Carnival, but the new date for the fund-raiser has not been scheduled, co-coordinator Debbie McKenney said.

The Project Graduation team will meet Feb. 25 to choose a date for the cold-water dip.

In past years, the carnival was held at Chickawaukie Lake. A few years with no ice, however, led to a shifting of the activities to Snow Marine Park, which offers outdoor ice-skating and sledding opportunities.

This year, there has been little snow, Brickel said, and the “kids have more fun with the snow.”

The event will be canceled for this year if there is no snow on Feb. 29, he said.

On the other hand, if snow covers the ground, there will be cross-country skiing, ice-skating, snowman building, a tug of war, sledding, hockey and horse-drawn carriage rides.

Admission is free, and the Rotary will sell food and refreshments.