'The colder, the better' organizers of expanded Ligonier Ice Fest say

The deep freeze that has caused many of us to break out our knit caps is expected to continue through this weekend.

Those frigid conditions will be ideal for crews creating sculptures for the annual Ligonier Ice Fest, and for those who come to admire the outdoor display of frozen figures — beginning Friday.

“The weather is with us this year,” said Amy Beitel, executive director of the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce. “The colder the better.”

This year’s event will see the return of ice carving demonstrations as well as an expansion to a third day of activities. The festival will continue Saturday and Sunday in downtown Ligonier.

The National Weather Service is predicting highs of just 29 degrees on Friday, 20 degrees Saturday and 25 degrees Sunday.

Beginning Friday, artists from Jeannette’s DiMartino Ice will be on hand with tools — including chainsaws — to shape multiple blocks of ice into eight giant outdoor sculptures.

“We’re very excited to be able to bring back the live ice carving,” said Cindy Purnell, who chairs the festival committee and is the owner of Ligonier’s Post & Rail Men’s Shop. “It’s always been a huge draw. People are very fascinated to see them taking 300- to 400-pound blocks of solid ice and turning them into a beautiful art sculpture.”

Live carving was halted in 2021 during the pandemic to limit gatherings of onlookers in a small area.

Some of the statues will be created Friday, beginning about 2 p.m., while the remainder will be carved beginning at 11 a.m. Saturday.

The giant sculptures will be placed at several spots on or near Ligonier’s central Diamond Park, avoiding heated sidewalks.

“Heat and ice don’t mix,” Purnell noted.

Visitors will have the opportunity to try out an oversized chair fashioned from ice at the Diamond bandstand. “People can sit on it to get their picture taken,” Purnell said.

The town’s sidewalks will be lined with dozens of ice carvings, sponsored by more than 60 businesses and organizations. Smaller single-block sculptures will be hand-carved in advance by DiMartino staff and then positioned in town beginning Friday.

As visitors stroll through downtown Ligonier to admire the icy images, they’ll find a number of other attractions.

The band Candle in the Wind will perform a free concert at 2 p.m. Saturday in the Town Hall auditorium, with a mix of jazz, R&B, early rock and roll, pop and classic rock. Flow N’at, a group of fire spinners, will offer shows at 5 p.m. Friday and Saturday in Bank Alley.

Also Saturday, Ligonier Volunteer Hose Company No. 1 will serve a spaghetti dinner in the Town Hall community room, from 11 a.m. until the meals are sold out.

Kettle corn will be sold all three days of the festival, along with indoor merchant sales and horse-drawn carriage rides, weather permitting.

New this year, visitors can keep a sharp eye out for blue- and red-painted rocks hidden downtown. Those who are successful in the Icy Hot Rock Hunt can take the rock they find to the shop listed on the back to receive a prize.

While other festival activities will come to a close Sunday, the ice sculptures will remain as long as cold temperatures continue.

Visit the chamber website, ligonier.com, for more information about the Ice Fest and other planned events.