Downtown Chambersburg is ready for the 17th annual IceFest, January 31 to February 3. No need to get stuck in the throes of winter. Get out of the house and enjoy more than 80 ice sculptures. Live carving by DiMartino Ice is set for Thursday and Friday evening when the giant throne is transformed from clear blocks of ice into the coolest place to have a picture taken. It is an amazing transformation done with chain saws, drills, and blowers. Downtown Chambersburg glistens with beautifully lit ice sculptures and twinkling lights fill the trees along the Main Street. It is magical.
Everything kicks off Thursday, January 31, at 5 PM on Memorial Square with an opening ceremony and the traditional IceFest Cake. Enjoy a piece of cakes and view live sculpture carving. Take a trip down the double-wide slide on South Main Street, open until 8 PM. Race a friend!
On Friday evening from 5 PM to 8 PM, carving of the giant sculptures continues, plus the double-wide ice slide is open again. The Snowfall Ball at Central Presbyterian is back for the 7th year, beginning with a dance lesson on Swing, Rumba and Waltz at 6 PM, followed by open dance from 7 PM to 10 PM with a spotlight dance at 8:00 PM. Watch glass blowing by Glass Routes on North Main Street in the parking area near King Street Church, plus enjoy the glass blowing exhibition at the new location of Council for the Arts, 81 North Main Street.
Saturday starts with The All-You-Can-Eat Pancake Breakfast at the Trinity Episcopal Church on South Second Street, 8 AM-11 AM. At 10 AM, the ice slide opens. Icing on the Cake, a cake-decorating contest with professional, amateur and student competitions begins at 10 AM and runs until 4 PM. Help select the People’s Choice by casting one-dollar votes. Winners announced at 4 PM. Then, everyone gets to eat the cakes.
At 11 AM on Saturday is the new event Chili-Q until 4 p.m. In previous years, the Chili Cookoff was held, but now, get ready to enjoy not only chili but delicious BBQ. Sample your favorites in the parking lot next to Main Street Deli for this steamy treat.
Be sure to visit the new Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center, located in the 1865 former bank building on the southwest. It is a beautiful building and a good place to warm up while checking out destinations in Franklin County. Enjoy a display by local Chambersburg Quilt Guild Display and Raffle, take in the Appalachian Trail photo contest or find out about all the haunted spots of Franklin County. It offers children’s activities, walking tours around the square, and plenty of information about Franklin County. Admission is free.
IceFest is a community event, bringing many organizations and civic groups together to create an experience with something for everyone and guaranteed to be a great moment in Franklin County. View a full schedule of events at icefestpa.com.
The Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites all to explore Franklin County PA and enjoy the trails of history, arts and architecture, recreation, natural beauty, fresh foods and the warm hospitality of communities like Chambersburg, Greencastle, Mercersburg, Shippensburg, and Waynesboro. Franklin County PA is located just north of the Mason Dixon Line and is an easy drive to Washington DC, Philadelphia, and Pittsburgh. Discover more….plan a visit soon at ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com or by contacting 866.646.8060.
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