There is plenty of snow on the ground and more on the way leading up to this weekend’s events.

“The trail conditions are great as they have been groomed for cross country skiing,” Chapman State Park Environmental Education Specialist Jen Moore said. “The sled riding hill is in good shape for this weekend. The route for the sled-dog races are in great shape as well. We still have plenty of snow on the ground and the trails. It looks to be a very good weekend for Winterfest.”

“Looking at the weather it looks like we are going to get some more snow before the event. We anticipate a good, full weekend of activities,” Warren County Chamber of Business and Industry Director of Tourism John Papalia said. “There has been a great deal of excitement around the event, including sled riding, the plunge, vendors, bike rides, geomeet, and various other educational programs.”

Winterfest kicks off Friday with the long-distance sled-dog race starting at 9 a.m.

Times Observer file photo Spectators at a Polar Plunge at a previous Winterfest gather around the event, including on the ice-covered surface of Chapman Lake. The Salvation Army Polar Plunge will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday.

The park’s sledding hill and the lake will be available for wintry uses, but the formal Winterfest events don’t start up again until evening.

The Meet the Mushers dinner will be held from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Kalbfus Club on Chapman Dam Road. Dinners are $8 for adults, $4 for children ages 11 to 17, and free for children 10 and under.

Craft and food vendors will be open around the area of the sledding hill from 5 to 7 p.m.

The Warren County YMCA will present Frozen starting at 5 p.m. in the same area.

The Jim Lobdell Memorial Sled-Dog Races start back up at 9 a.m. Saturday and Sunday and run each day until they are wrapped up.

Times Observer file photo Members of the Glade Volunteer Fire Department demonstrate ice rescue techniques at a previous Winterfest. The department will be on the ice at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“There are 27 mushers attending over the three days,” Papalia said. “They will be racing and making up over 50 sled dog teams in various divisions.”

The Fat Tire Bike Ride organized by Warren Cycle Shop will meet at 10 a.m. at the event tent at the sledding hill.

Craft vendors will be open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in the area of the sledding hill. Food vendors will be open during the same times on both sides of the lake. Vendors will be in the sledding area from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday.

Chapman State Park and the Bureau of State Parks will welcome numerous partners for demonstrations and events from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Pavilion 2.

“The Martz-Kohl Observatory is bringing a solar scope to look at the sun,” Moore said. “Bureau of Forestry is doing winter tree identification with bark and they will also have supplies for the kids to make bark rubbings.”

The Pennsylvania Game Commission will have a display of furs of various regional animals.

“Conewango Creek Watershed Association, Penn State Master Watershed Stewards, and PA Sea Grant will have water-related games and activities,” she said.

There will be flint-knapping with Hearts Content Stone Points.

There will also be a geomeet including Where in the Park is Yeti? Those who would like to participate in geocaching and finding Yeti should come prepared with a GPS device or a GPS app downloaded to a phone.

The geomeet will continue on Sunday from 10 a.m. to noon.

There will also be a presentation on the basics of ice fishing.

“Each organization will have a table set-up with information as well,” Moore said. “This will give visitors the chance to interact with different organizations and learn more about each one.”

Glade Volunteer Fire Department will present an ice safety demonstration at 1 p.m. Saturday at the beach, followed by the Salvation Army Polar Plunge.

The canine weight-pull event will run from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and start up again at 9 a.m. on Sunday.

On-site sign-ups are welcome for both the weight-pull and the plunge.

The YMCA will have family-themed games and activities going on both Saturday and Sunday, with a sledding competition at 11 a.m. Sunday. There will be a number of age groups and the categories will include: toboggan, standard sled, and inflatable.

Due to ice conditions, there will not be ice skating included among the Winterfest activities.

Parking is available on the beach side of the lake and a free shuttle will be operating about every half-hour from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday to move visitors to and from events on the other side of the lake.