IceFest returns to Chambersburg for 20th anniversary: Everything you need to know

There will be a lot to celebrate at IceFest later this month.

Not only is the largest ice festival in Pennsylvania returning after being knocked out by the pandemic last year, but it will also celebrate its 20th anniversary in 2022. 

Here is what you need to know about one of the biggest events of the year in Franklin County. 

What is IceFest? 

First held in 2002 to help the community shake the mid-winter blues, IceFest is a four-day-long festival featuring dozens of ice sculptures, good food, all kinds of fun for the family, friendly competitions and community comradery. It attracts around 20,000 people to Chambersburg. 

It is jointly hosted by - and is a big fundraiser for - Downtown Chambersburg Inc., Downtown Business Council of Chambersburg and Chambersburg Council for the Arts. 

When is IceFest? 

IceFest will take place from Thursday, Jan. 27 through Sunday, Jan. 30. 

Events take place at varying times across the four-day festival, but you can check out the dozens of ice sculptures anytime. For a full schedule, go to www.icefestpa.com. 

Where is IceFest? 

Activities and events will take place at various locations in downtown Chambersburg, along Main Street or just off of it. 

How many ice sculptures will there be? 

The DiMartino Ice Company of Jeannette, Pa., will carve about 38 tons of ice into more than 80 elaborate ice sculptures that will be on display around downtown. 

Ice artists will also carve several giant ice sculptures live on-site as well as the popular double-wide ice slide. The slide and giant sculptures will be lit up with LED lights. 

Could IceFest be canceled again because of COVID-19?

Organizers say IceFest will go on this year, but with some modifications to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The decision to cancel in 2021 was "devastating," said Tarryne West, executive director of Council for the Arts.

As the festival involves people gathering in close quarters, organizers decided they had to cancel it out of "respect for the safety of the community," Sam Thrush, the president of Downtown Chambersburg Inc., said at the time. 

The number of daily coronavirus cases has skyrocketed over the past month due to the highly contagious Omicron variant, far exceeding the previous record surge of a year ago. However, symptoms are mild for most people and health experts have compared it to the flu or even a cold. 

A smaller percentage of cases are resulting in hospitalizations. Roughly the same number of patients with COVID-19 have been hospitalized amid the Omicron surge as a year ago. The number of deaths so far this month is on par with January 2021, while there were about half as many deaths in December as the year before. 

Will anything be different at IceFest this year? 

As a COVID-19 precaution, organizers are focused on options to spread out events in order to prevent large groups of people from gathering in one place, according to West.

One example is the Icing on the Cake competition: Instead of all attendees going to the Wood Center at Capitol Theatre on Saturday to check out the cakes and vote on their favorites, cakes will be on display in downtown storefronts for three days. 

The Snowfall Ball, held Friday evening, will move from its typical home at Central Presbyterian Church to a bigger venue.  

The Chili Q, a chili and BBQ cookoff, will also move to a new location. Instead of being held in the borough parking lot next to Main Street Deli on North Main Street, it will take place in the street in the area of 100 Lincoln Way East. 

The Beer Garden will also take place on Lincoln Way East instead of in the parking lot. 

What are this year's IceFest activities? 

Here is a rundown of events for 2022. For details, go to www.icefestpa.com.

Grand opening: 5-5:30 p.m. Thursday on Courthouse Plaza, the northeast quadrant of Memorial Square. Free cupcakes while supplies last. 

Double-wide ice slide: Open 5-8 p.m. Thursday and Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday, in the parking lot next to YP Jewelry, 133 S. Main St. It's free. 

Live ice carving: Watch as artists from DiMartino Ice Company turn blocks of ice into giant sculptures, 5 to 8 p.m. Thursday and Friday around downtown. 

Snowfall Ball: 6-10 p.m. Friday in the ballroom at the 11/30 Visitors Center, 15 S. Main St. Get a lesson in cha cha, swing and the foxtrot, then show off your new skills at the big dance. Admission is $15. 

Corn Hole Tournament: Qualifying games will be played outside of 100 Lincoln Way West on Saturday beginning at noon, and the championship game will start at 4 p.m. Gather a team and bring $40 in cash to register at 11 a.m. 

Chili Q: Professional and amateur cooks will showcase their best chili and BBQ recipes from noon to 3 p.m on Saturday outside of 100 Lincoln Way East. Guests can sample 10 entries and vote on their favorites for the admission price of $15 ($12 pre-sale).

Beer Garden: Warm up with a cold beer on Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. outside of 100 Lincoln Way East. 

Icing on the Cake: Professional and amateur cake decorators show off their best "Under the Sea" creations. To vote for your favorite student, amateur and professional entries, buy a Cake Walk Card for $5 and check out the entries on display in downtown storefronts from Thursday to Saturday. 

Run Your Ice Off 5K: The 5K race will bring IceFest to a close on Sunday. The race begins at 2 p.m. on West King Street at Hood Street, proceeds down North and South Main streets to West Catherine Street and throughout the west end before arriving back at West King Street via Philadelphia Avenue. To register and for details, go to https://bit.ly/3FksdsT. 

What's the weather forecast for IceFest?

Keep in mind IceFest is still two weeks away, but the forecast is currently calling for pretty perfect winter weather. 

According to Accuweather, temperatures will hover around the mid-30s throughout the festival. A high in the low-40s is expected Saturday, but it will be pretty windy with gusts up to 29 mph. There should be a mix of sun and clouds, with no precipitation expected. 

Will roads be closed for IceFest?

Yes. Routes 11 and 30 will be closed to motorists through downtown from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday. 

Main Street (Route 11) will be closed from King Street south to Washington Street. Lincoln Way (Route 30) will be closed from Second Street west to Black Avenue. 

Where should I park for IceFest?

There are a number of parking options within walking distance to IceFest. 

There are four parking lots directly connected to Main Street and three others nearby. 

The biggest parking lot is at Southgate shopping center, which is about a five-minute walk to the southern boundary of the festival on South Main Street. 

There is a map of parking lots at icefestpa.com. 

Amber South can be reached at asouth@publicopinionnews.com.