CLARKS SUMMIT — The 20th annual Clarks Summit Festival of Ice will take place on Jan. 26, 27, and 28, when prehistoric monsters will once again walk the earth.
This year’s theme, Jurassic Ice, promises to transport everyone back millions of years as businesses from all over downtown Clarks Summit showcase their shops with dinosaurs carved from ice.
Those who collect eight dinosaur stamps on their program at participating locations will be eligible to win a special prize from the Abington Business and Professional Association.
“The whole thing is to bring families and indivduals into dowtown to experience all of the really cool shops and restarauns that are there,” said Laurie LaMaster, event coordinator.
The festival will kickoff on Friday at 6:30 p.m. with a parade along State Street that will end at the Clock Tower. Participants in the parade include local businesses, marching bands, fire responders and more. Kids of all ages are invited to dress in their best dinosaur costume and walk in the parade. Parade staging will take place the Citizens Bank parking lot at 5:30 p.m.
After the parade, this year’s Ice Prince and Ice Princess will be crowned.
Live ice carvings will take place downtown at various locations on Friday and Saturday. Also on Saturday, there will be carriage rides, weather permitting.
On Saturday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Sunday 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. there will be nonprofit food concessions at The Gathering Place for Community, Arts and Education located on 304 S. State St.
There will be hot dogs, hot cocoa, chili, hoagies and other treats.
Vendors for the Festival of Ice include: Fidelity Hot Chocolate truck, Ameritas Caritas warming station, Deep Roots Hard Cider, Last Leg Cidery, and more.
On Saturday and Sunday from 10 to 2 p.m. at Pocket Park, located on Depot Street, Jurassic Raptor 570 will showcase his many giant dinosaur puppets. There will a live presenations from 11 to 1 p.m. on both days.
In addition, Saturday and Sunday will also feature food tents, special sales by area merchants, and plenty of opportunities for pictures with the giant reptiles from long ago.
On Sunday from noon to 2 p.m. there will be an ice carving competition between area fire fighters at the Citizens Bank parking lot.
DJ Donna will provide music Saturday and Sunday afternoons.
Sponsors: PennEast Credit Union, Azek Corporation, Everything Natural, Jennings Calvey Funeral Home, Fidelity Bank, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Amerihealth Caritas – Pennsylvania, Honesdale National Bank.
Media partners: The Abington Journal, WNEP-TV, Lamar Advertising.
