Greetings from the Downtown Westbrook Coalition. As coordinator of the coalition, I want to spread the word about all the fantastic events going on in Westbrook and highlight our wonderful businesses.

Coming up this weekend is the February Winter West Festival. This Friday, Feb. 13, head to Riverbank Park from 5:30-8 p.m. for a bonfire, roasted marshmallows and Kiwanis Family Skate Night. Bring your own skates, or rent a pair for a $1 donation. During the event, you can warm up in the American Legion Hall. There will be a cash bar and bathrooms available inside, as well, and food available from outside vendors. Up at Sunset Ridge Golf Links, there will be a Krazy Jake Pre-Show Party from 6-8, with drink and food specials, leading up to the Krazy Jake Comedy Show at 8 p.m. Tickets are $12 advance purchase, $15 at the door. Krazy Jake is a Maine-based comedian who currently stars on the Animal Planet TV show, “Yankee Jungle.” To purchase tickets, visit Sunset Ridge at 771 Cumberland St. or call 854-9463.

On Saturday, celebrate Valentine’s Day with more events at the park and Sunset Ridge. All this snow will finally pay off for the competitive sled dog races up at Sunset Ridge from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Sunset Ridge is also hosting an indoor art and craft fair during that time. The Riverbank skating rink will be open again from 8 a.m.-2 p.m. To warm up with your kids, register for the Princess Tea Party with Drouin Dance Center, just $5 per child. To register, call 854-2221 or visit drouindancecenter.com.

The weekend will close out with more sled dog races at Sunset Ridge on Sunday, Feb. 15, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. All events are free unless otherwise noted. On Saturday, there will be overflow parking in the CVS lot downtown, with a shuttle running every hour between there and Sunset Ridge. That way, you can see the races and visit our wonderful downtown businesses for some shopping and a bite to eat.

One of those businesses you should absolutely visit is our new chocolate shop, Black Dinah Chocolatiers. Though their space is not yet fully renovated, they are hosting a pop-up store for Valentine’s Day. Black Dinah is based out of Isle au Haut, but they’ve chosen Westbrook for their southern expansion. They have recently won a Good Food Award for their Cassis de Resistance, a black currant truffle. The Good Food Awards recognize American food producers that use sustainable and socially responsible practices. Their dark chocolate Frogletiers were featured in the February 2015 issue of Martha Stewart Living. Their pop-up store will be this Friday and Saturday, Feb. 14 and 15, from 12-6 p.m. They will offer Valentine’s specials from their “With Love, From Maine” line, as well as customer favorites. Find them in the Edwards Block at 869 Main.

Main Street has a wonderfully diverse array of food, so you can always get just what you want. In addition to food, we have a lovely antique store, My Lady’s Tea Room and Antiques, located at 888 Main; the Kidz Closet, a children’s consignment store at 820 Main; Tropical Sun Tanning at 863 Main; Weekend Anime and Games, a comic book, toy, and book store (and more) at 492 Main; and the newly opened Bagala Window, which offers several window and door services. There are also specialty grocery stores (Middle Eastern and European), hair stylists, pet grooming, insurance agencies, accountants, a dentist, banks, and so much more. We even have a gorgeous, historic library right downtown at 800 Main – it has stood in the same spot for over 200 years. We are developing a complete list of all the businesses in downtown Westbrook. Stay tuned to our Facebook page and newsletter for this list. If you haven’t liked our page or signed up for our newsletter yet, you can find us on Facebook as the Downtown Westbrook Coalition. Our page has a link to subscribe to our newsletter.

We want to get everyone – residents, business owners, city officials, and visitors – involved in making downtown Westbrook a thriving place. If you’d like information on how to get involved, contact me at acioffi@westbrook.me.us or 391-2977.

Abigail Cioffi is coordinator of the Downtown Westbrook Coalition. She can be reached at at acioffi@westbrook.me.us or 391-2977.