With a modified and stretched-out slate of events this season, Westbrook’s Winter West festival 2015 kicks off next weekend with a family skate night in Riverbank Park.

Winter West organizers, at Westbrook Community Services, formed a new plan for the third year of the festival, as many of last year’s events were affected by poor weather, which caused cancellations and rescheduling that hindered attendance.

Organizers have already experienced that this year. The snow-carving contest, organized by local restaurateur James Tranchemontagne and scheduled to coincide with the skate night on Saturday, Jan. 17, has already been rescheduled to Feb. 14 due to a lack of snow.

Maria Dorn, the director of Westbrook Community Services, said Monday that the idea behind spreading out the events was to try to avoid bad weather, as well as lighten the load for organizers and volunteers. Also, she said, the popular sled dog races, taking place at Sunset Ridge Golf Links, had already been set for February.

Sunset Ridge will host the races on Feb. 14, and the annual Winter West 5K has been moved to March, when the newly named “St. Patrick’s Day 5K” will take place March 14.

“It’s a little easier to do these month to month,” Dorn said. “It’s not as overwhelming.”

Next Saturday, if the weather continues to cooperate, the family skate night will feature a rink that Dorn calls a “real collaborative effort” between the rink’s main sponsor, Glacial Multimedia, and local business owner and developer Rob Mitchell, the Westbrook Fire Department and Westbrook Public Services. Dorn added that there will be a bonfire, and the American Legion Hall on Dunn Street will be open during the event, offering drinks and snacks.

The Kiwanis Club will provide skate rentals for a suggested donation for the open skate.

Mitchell, who has volunteered the past two years to work on the ice rink, said Monday that the rink came together through the last week, with the Westbrook Fire Department flooding it, and a few skaters testing it last weekend. However, he said, after last Saturday’s snow, some regular maintenance was needed.

On Wednesday, Mitchell and fellow volunteer Jeremy Gardiner were in the park, scraping the ice in preparation for the Westbrook Fire Department to add a fresh layer of ice in the 10-degree weather.

He asked that local residents who use the rink lend a hand in maintenance, as well, perhaps shoveling the rink after snow.

“The quality of the ice can be dramatically improved just with a little maintenance, beyond what the city will do from a snow-clearing perspective,” he said. “Over the weekend, there was a resident clearing off a portion of the rink for his kids, which is fantastic.”

Mitchell added that while the family skate night is a terrific event, the rink is in the park all season long, “for everyone to use.”

Next month, when mushers take over Sunset Ridge, the event will be expanded.

According to Sunset Ridge owner Allen Hayman, an arts and crafts fair will run in conjunction with the races. Hayman said he has also reached out to local animal shelters about the possibility of hosting an animal adoption event.

On Tuesday, Hayman said organizers have expanded the course this year, bringing the total potential miles to 8.

“This will allow the addition of eight dog teams to the racing categories,” he said, adding that a “recreation” class is included this year.

“We have made the course design more readily available for spectators so people will see more of the actual race,” he said.

Hayman, whose course hosted the Tough Mudder event last summer, said they’re also working on the possibility of sled dog rides for spectators, and are hoping to team up with the city to sponsor an event on the Friday night before the races, possibly with a local comedian.

Westbrook firefighter Robert Franklin sprays a fresh layer of water on the community ice rink in Riverbank Park on Wednesday. The rink is the central piece of the city’s family skate night, part of Westbrook Winter West 2015. Staff photo by Andrew RiceA few skaters test out the freshly made ice in Riverbank Park last Saturday, just before snow began falling. Volunteers gearing up for Westbrook Winter West’s family skate night next Saturday are keeping up the effort to maintain the sheet. Courtesy photo