FORT KENT, Maine — In an effort to give back to the community, officials with the Can-Am International Sled Dog Races assembled something special for this weekend’s Logger Fest in Fort Kent.
The group crafted a display of more than 200 items celebrating St. John Valley history for the event, which started Friday and runs through Sunday.
This is Fort Kent’s second Logger Fest, which has expanded since its inaugural run in 2024. The festival pays homage to the region’s lumbering history and celebrates forestry as one of Maine’s most important industries.
The highlight of the Can-Am exhibit was a fully-restored Watson Bottom Dump Wagon, which was used by the St. John Lumber Company in the early 20th century to help build the Long Lake Dam.
The dam helped loggers better control the water flow down the Allagash River. The wagon on display is the exact one the company used a century ago, Can-Am Vice President Sarah Brooks said.
“We felt that if we set up a historical display featuring this wagon, which is on loan to us from the Ashland Logging Museum, and that ties into the history of the area, that it would be the central focus of our display,” Brooks said.
The display featured artifacts from the Ashland museum, the Portage Historical Society and private collectors, and included roughly 20 photographs from Ashland photographer Maxie Morin, which were taken between 1890 to 1910 and printed from glass plate negatives.
The Can-Am, an international sled dog race that brings in mushers throughout the United States and Canada, has been going strong for 33 years. It is the Fort Kent region’s largest annual event and provides a significant economic boost. Hundreds of volunteers help out each year, some of whom travel from hundreds of miles away.
“With Can-Am, the communities are always giving to us, so we wanted to give back to the community,” Brooks said.
Much of the Can-Am race also takes place across working logging land throughout northern Maine forests, which is why organizers wanted to do something for Logger Fest.
The event kicked off on Friday with a variety of booths at Lonesome Pine Trails followed by live entertainment and cornhole at JD’s Tavern. A light parade was also held on Friday at 8:30 p.m. that traveled from Market Street to Rock’s Diner.
Festivities will continue on Saturday at Lonesome Pine Trails with log loading and cable throwing competitions as well as a performance by the Axe Women of Maine. A street party is planned on Main Street with activities and live music, culminating in a fireworks display.
On Sunday, a Logger’s Breakfast will be held at 6 a.m. at Rock’s Diner, with a Logger Fest Golf Tournament following later in the day at the Fort Kent Golf Club.
Proceeds from the golf tournament will support the St. John Valley Technology Center’s forestry operations and heavy equipment programs.
Maine is the country’s most forested state, with nearly 90% of its land covered in forest, according to the World Population Review.
The event’s overall goal, according to Logger Fest committee member Lana Voisine, is to bring people together while highlighting an industry that helped build the region.
“Logger Fest exists to recognize the hardworking men and women of this industry and to celebrate an industry that continues to support our communities and shape our way of life,” Voisine said.