LUDLOW — Prepare to dress warmly and have fun during the Ludlow Winter Carnival this weekend.

The three-day event will begin with a fancy-dress ball from 8 p.m. to midnight Friday at the Black River Academy Museum. Attendees are encouraged to wear the colors for the weekend: red, white and blue. The event is hosted by Gill Odd Fellows Home, admission is $10 and proceeds will benefit the 2010 Ludlow fireworks.

From 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Gill Odd Fellows Home will host a free sledding party with a bonfire, hot chocolate and other treats. At 6:30 p.m., a parade will wind its way from Black River Union High School to Dorsey Park. The public is invited to meet at 6 p.m. at the school and to bring something to make noise. Musical instruments, pots and pans and other noisemakers are encouraged. At the conclusion of the parade, there will be fireworks, bonfires and marshmallow roasting, as well as a bake sale and T-shirt vending to support the 2010 Fireworks, all at Dorsey Park.

From 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Sunday, Okemo will host a kids' fun race in the Jackson Gore Courtyard. Children 13 and younger will be timed as they run over a mound of snow and negotiate a series of hay bales. The event is free and prizes will be awarded.

There will be a snow sculpture contest, which will be judged at 3 p.m. Saturday. Contestants should e-mail photos of their sculptures to mgraf@yourplaceinvermont.com. There will also be a scavenger hunt Saturday and Sunday, with participants following clues to local businesses and receiving treats along the way.

For more information, visit the Okemo Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce's Web site at www.yourplaceinvermont.com.