LIGONIER, Pa. — The Ice Fest in Ligonier Valley will be in full swing this weekend, even with the winter forecast projecting several inches of snow.
“At least 6 years ago, I woke up to two feet of snow. the day of the ice sculpture festival. It went on,” said Cindy Purnell, Chairperson of the Ice Fest. “People came, and we just dug little tunnels, little roads on the way to the sculptures.”
She says in Ligonier Valley, they are used to snow coming around this time and believe it adds to the experience.
“It’s going to be perfect! It’s going to be very cold, but it’s also going to be snowy and kind of magical,” said Purnell.
From a bird’s eye view, you can see over 60 podiums ready to be filled with 300-pound blocks of ice. Four artists will carve ice throughout the weekend, and local stores will be open for visitors to warm up.
Amy Beitel, the Executive Director of the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce, said, “Once the sculptures are up, they are up until they melt. so with the forecast, what it looks like next week, I imagine people can still come to town next week, and they’ll be here.
The festival has been a part of the town since the early 1990’s, and they will not cancel. The sidewalks in the town are heated now so ice and snow can quickly melt. They do not bring in outside vendors for the event so everyone is local and prepared for snow.
Click here for more information on Ligonier’s Ice Festival.
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