It’s carnival time

The 2024 Winter Carnival time is around the corner. The festivities begin on Friday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. with the Ice Queen pageant at the Magic Lantern, 9 Depot St., then carry over to Saturday with registration for the kids ice fishing derby at 8 a.m.

There will be music, food and ice skating all day at the Town Hall on North High Street and a whole array of events at Highland Lake Beach, including horse-drawn wagon rides, a juggler, rail jam, an ice bar, a spicy chili eating contest and, at 1 p.m., the always-popular “Freezing for a Reason” polar dip to benefit Harvest Hills Animal Shelter.

Skiers and snowboarders can register for the rail jam – age groups 6-14 and 15 and older – at 10 a.m. The jam is at 1:30 p.m. and the fee is $15.

The day wraps up with fireworks on the lake at 6 p.m. Buttons to participate in some activities are available at the Chamber of Commerce. Register in advance to participate in the polar dip. For more details and a complete list of events, go to gblrcc.org/winter-carnival.

Income tax assistance

Free income tax assistance by AARP tax-aide specialists will be available at the Bridgton Community Center starting Monday, Feb. 12, and continuing through April 12.

Make an appointment by calling 647-3116 and bring valid photo IDs, social security cards, a copy of your 2023 tax return, forms or statements from employers and health insurance information.

This free service is for low- to moderate-income seniors.

Standard, adaptive winter fun

Try cross country skiing and snowshoeing at the Peabody-Fitch Woods and Narramissic Farm in South Bridgton on Feb. 23 from 10 a.m. to noon.

The event is presented in collaboration by Loon Echo Land Trust, Bridgton Historical Society and Maine Adaptive Sports & Recreation. Standard and adaptive gear will be available for participants to borrow and try out with free lessons.

Participation is free, but registration is required. For more information and to register, go to lelt.org or call 647-4352.

Donation to kids literacy

The Friends of Bridgton Public Library has donated $5,650 to support the 1,000 Books Before Kindergarten Program and the Skill-Building Collection, which is part of the library’s youth services.

The grant enables the purchase of 1,500 books for children to bring home and encourages families to check out books from the library’s collection. It will also benefit the summer reading program.

Learn how to become an Early Childhood Literacy volunteer by calling 647-2472, or contact library Director Amy Stone at bpldirector@bridgton.lib.me.us.

Send your school’s or organization’s Bridgton news to Perri Black at perillb@gmail.com.