Ligonier to chill out with ice fest
LIGONIER – Chairman Cindy Purnell announced the 12th annual Ligonier Ice Fest is scheduled for Saturday and Sunday, Jan. 25-26. This year’s Ice Fest will feature more than 40 ice sculptures carved by Ernie DiMartino set up around town and in front of downtown businesses.
The nationally recognized ice artist and his assistants will be busy all day Saturday creating art from 300-pound blocks of frozen water. DiMartino, who owns the DiMartino Ice Works in Jeanette, has carved prize-winning ice sculptures all across the nation and even in tropical islands.
He and his staff are responsible for the current Ice Show at State College and the Fire and Ice set for Somerset in mid-January.
Adding to the Ligonier Ice Fest festivities will be buggy rides around the Diamond with horse teams provided by Bauer Buggy and a “Big Band” Concert by Graham Grubb Band underwritten by Commercial National Bank of Pennsylvania in the Ligonier Town Hall. The music will begin at 2 p.m. Area merchants are planning to hold “indoor sidewalk sales” timed for the two-day Ice Fest. Area restaurants also participate by adding Ice Fest specialties to their menu. A Saturday highlight will be the annual spaghetti dinner hosted by the Ligonier Volunteer Hose Co. No. 1 in the Community Room of the Town Hall from 11:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Also the Original Kettle Korn Man will be popping his famous corn on the Diamond.
For more, information, call the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce at 724-238-4200 or log onto the Web site at www.ligonier.com.