Ligonier ice carvings prepared ahead of time to cope with pandemic

The sound of chainsaws will be missing from this weekend’s Ligonier Ice Fest, but the carvers are busy working at DiMartino Ice Co. in Jeannette.

Ice sculptures typically carved in Ligonier Diamond Park during past events are being prepared ahead of the annual winter festival. Ice carver Jared McAlister said the safety of employees and spectators, who typically gather in large groups to watch the live sculpting, was an important factor in planning the festival.

“Some events, we’ll draw 40,000 people in a weekend,” he said. “It’s more about minimizing the general risk for the public.”

The setup of the park and Ligonier’s downtown area are perfect for would-be visitors who would rather keep away from the crowds but still take in the ice’s beauty.

“It has the perfect drive-thru format,” McAlister said.

Ice sculptures are coming to life at DiMartino Ice in advance of Ice Fest’s 30th annual celebration. Blocks of ice were carved into a fish, Snoopy and the numbers 3 and 0 on Tuesday by McAlister, Dave DeFloria and John Lowry.

There won’t be any lack of sculptures this weekend — carvers are preparing 84 pieces, two more than last year. The festival will be held Saturday and Sunday.

There will be food, sidewalk sales, weekend specials in restaurants and horse-drawn tours around town for festivalgoers. Visitors are asked to follow social distancing guidelines and wear face coverings, among other CDC recommendations meant to slow the spread of the coronavirus.

“There will still be plenty of ice to look at and plenty of designs,” McAlister said.

A few of the new designs include Spider-man and a squirrel. Two sculptures featuring a giraffe and bear will each be 8 feet tall. All of the pieces will be set up Friday.

“We’re trying to keep the crew as small as possible,” he said.

The weekend weather forecast is partly sunny but chilly. Saturday’s high temperature in Ligonier is expected to be 27 degrees, and Sunday will reach 33 degrees. The low temperature Friday and Saturday night are predicted to be in the teens, according to the National Weather Service.