It's hard to believe that the Yukon Quest began in 1984.

The 1,000 Mile International Sled Dog Race has since grown into major dimension, a staple each February in the Yukon and Alaska.

And to celebrate the event, fans are invited to the Yukon Quest's 29th birthday with a party at Antoinette's Restaurant starting 5 p.m. today for an evening of live music by Joe Bishop, Quest trivia, prizes and fun with the mushers, directors and staff – free of charge.

Executive director Sue Thomas said the party will feature new quizzes that will challenge those who think they know everything about the Quest.

"It's a nice open event where we let our hair down and have some fun,” Thomas said. "It's the one time we sit down and just enjoy ourselves. There's a lot of work to putting on the Quest, but this is when we take time out to enjoy a birthday party and have some fun with our fans, with some mushers, with all the guests who support the Quest.”

Partygoers will also hear the plans for the 2012 race and Quest Fest, get an update on the registered mushers and learn how to become a part of the only international sled dog race in the world.

Antoinette will be serving up numerous delectable dishes with a cash bar open to all. The Chocolate Claim is creating a special birthday cake to celebrate the occasion.

Party guests can admire the 2012 Yukon Quest poster and lapel pins, and try on one of the new membership jackets. Coast Mountain Sports, supplier of the Quest's official merchandise in the Yukon, will have a variety of Yukon Quest items for sale, all suitable for Christmas giving.

Thomas was hired as the Quest's newest executive director in August, replacing outgoing executive director Georgina Leslie.

Turns out Thomas is a quick study.

The Quest has grown steadily since 1984, she said.

"It has grown, it has changed, it has evolved to a larger race and a more sophisticated race,” Thomas said.

That evolution and sophistication is due in part to the online tracking system (through TrackLeaders.com) and also through the quality of the entrants and growing knowledge of dog physiology.

"It's a true sporting event,” Thomas said. "It's not mushers going out wondering,

‘Can we do this? Is it possible?' And that's where it started.”

This year, nearly 30 mushers have signed on for the 2012 edition of the Yukon Quest.

Thomas pointed out that for all the uncontrolled variables, the major unknown is Mother Nature.

The 2009 Yukon Quest, for instance, experienced the best conditions – and therefore the fastest race.

Race veteran Sebastian Schuelle won that race in nine days, 23 hours and 20 minutes.

Last year, the conditions were among the poorest in the race's 28-year history, with frigid temperatures and trail issues.

"The snowmobiles setting the trail aren't just an hour in front of the mushers; they might have gone through a day or two before the mushers, and if a storm blows through, or if it warms up, the trail conditions can change greatly in a couple of days,” Thomas said.

"The mushers have to be true outdoorsman, and they have to know how to survive on their own, on the trail, and how to survive conditions that might be hovering around freezing, or they might actually drop to minus 50 and have true white-out conditions when they're trying to come across the summit,” Thomas said. "The mushers themselves have to be true athletes in order to get through any conditions that they might encounter.”

The 29th annual Yukon Quest is scheduled to start Feb. 4 in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Quest Fest will start in Whitehorse on Feb. 13-Feb. 18, around the end of the race.