CLARKS SUMMIT — Winter fun isn’t over just yet, thanks to the Abington Business & Professional Association (ABPA) and all who participated in the 16th annual Clarks Summit Festival of Ice Feb.14-16. Gamers most likely appreciated this year’s theme of ICEtendo, which proved to be retro with video game characters from the 80s, including Pacman near State Street Grill and Donkey Kong in near the clock between State and Depot streets.
The fun started with a parade Friday evening featuring local fire trucks and the Abington Heights High School Marching Band.
The festival was an interactive one as kids participated in scavenger hunts at the Abington Community Library and the McDonald’s in Clarks Summit. At the library, kids searched for pictures of video game characters such as Kirby and Link. At McDonald’s, they looked for gold coins and were greeted and served by popular Nintendo characters Mario and Luigi, along with Princess Peach from Super Mario Bros. Participants received prizes for finding items on the list.
On Sunday, kids had the chance to play video games when the SuperGame Trailer from Reading parked outside the Abington Heights Administrative Building. Roi Witten, ice carver of Sculpted Ice Works in Lakeville, did a live demonstration of four modern game characters, including Lara Croft and the Squid Sisters from the game Splatoon.
“I love this place,” Witten said about Clarks Summit. “This place is great.”
A winter vendor market was held inside the administrative building. Joe Rodgers, of Factoryville, owner of Joe Kool Comics and Mini Figures, was true to the theme as he sold pop dolls, miniature figurines, and posters of comic and video game characters. His stand is a pop-up store that appears in different locations.
“I like to see the smiles on the kids’ faces when they see the different toys,” Rodgers said.
Inside Everything Natural, local author Rebecca Loescher read two of her books, “Over on the Vineyard” and “The Mermaid.” Loescher writes children’s books with ocean themes, has written inspirational articles and published poems in national children’s science magazines.
“I love writing,” she said. “It’s my passion. I teach writers’ workshops. It’s wonderful to meet all the people who come to the ice festival.”
People were welcome inside The Gathering Place, which offered food and entertainment for all. Kids got to show their dance moves, which were projected onto a TV screen with characters of the new game Fortnite inside the Paul Ford Room. There was also a selfie station where parents took photos of their children in front of a scene of Super Mario Bros.
Also in the Gathering Place, members of the Appalachia Service Project sold cookies, brownies and Chex mix to raise funds for service trips to fix homes in the Appalachian area. Members of the Clarks Summit Borough Council, including president Gerrie Carey and council member Kathleen Simrell, cooked whimpies and grilled cheese sandwiches next to the Appalachia Service Project. Proceeds from the sandwiches will go towards holiday lights around Clarks Summit.
The Clarks Summit Festival of Ice brought hundreds of people from in town and all over to walk around town, enjoy the festival and have fun.
