Ligonier welcomes 32nd annual Ice Fest this weekend
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Debbie Sarault, owner of clothing store Betsy’s of Ligonier, has a secret.
But she’s not letting the proverbial cat out of the bag until Saturday, when the 32nd annual Ligonier Ice Fest begins.
As a shop owner for 33 years, Sarault prides herself on having never missed the event.
She waits until opening day to unveil the icy art that will adorn the front of her store’s sidewalk.
“You’ll just have to stop by and see it,” she said when asked for a hint of what the ice carvers at DiMartino Ice Co. of Jeannette created for her.
Sponsored by the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce, the event set for Saturday and Sunday features ice sculptures in front of local merchants, restaurants and around The Diamond in the center of town, horse-drawn carriage rides and a spaghetti dinner fundraiser.
Shop owners appreciate the shot in the arm the event gives to businesses during a traditionally slow month.
“I think, as a merchant, it is really important to have as many people as there are that come to our town during a slow period of time when we’re in transition, trying to get rid of our winter items to get ready for spring items to come in,” Sarault said. “I think we’re really fortunate to have this event in our area. It’s a real kick for the merchants, for the restaurants, for all of the hospitality.”
More than 50 ice sculptures made by DiMartino Ice will be on display. DiMartino owner Jared McAlister said the company used 90 blocks of ice to create this year’s sculptures.
“People will see a lot of multiblock sculptures,” McAlister said. “Two-, three- and four-block sculptures will be in front of the stores and around town. Then there’s the ones we put in The Diamond, which are six and three blocks. Pretty much 90 blocks of ice configured in many different ways.”
Festivities begin at town hall, where people can pay $5 for a horse-drawn carriage ride from Misty Haven Carriage.
“Ice Fest is a tradition that has been going on for a long time in Ligonier,” said Amy Beitel, executive director of the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce. “Just an ever-popular tradition.”
The fire department will host a spaghetti dinner at 11 a.m. Saturday and will serve food until it runs out. Hanson’s Original Kettle Korn and warm drinks will be available for sale throughout the weekend. Big Fat Jazz will perform in the Town Hall Auditorium at 2 p.m. Saturday, and Candle in the Wind will perform at 12:30 p.m. Sunday.
“In the winter, when January rolls around, people are often looking for something to do,” Beitel said. “Ligonier is a great way to spend Saturday and Sunday — looking at sculptures, shopping and dining all in our great town.”
For more information regarding event, contact the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce.