The ocean in ice is coming to Somerset for Fire & Ice

Madolin Edwards, The Daily American
·4 min read

SOMERSET ― The streets of uptown Somerset will bring the ocean to Somerset, as this year's Fire & Ice Festival kicks off Jan. 12-14.

The theme for the 29th annual Fire & Ice Festival, “Uptown Under the Sea,” will showcase sights from under the sea – with a frozen twist: an ocean in ice. The festival promises more than 50 ornate ice sculptures capturing images from a walrus to a lionfish to a blue-ringed octopus to beloved mermaids and submarines.

Don't know if this dinosaur ice sculpture was watching the ice slide or wanted to join in the fun last year during the 28th annual Fire & Ice Festival in Somerset. Jurassic Somerset was the theme of the festival. (Credit: Staff photo by Madolin Edwards)
Don't know if this dinosaur ice sculpture was watching the ice slide or wanted to join in the fun last year during the 28th annual Fire & Ice Festival in Somerset. Jurassic Somerset was the theme of the festival. (Credit: Staff photo by Madolin Edwards)

“We’ve loved the opportunity to push the creative bounds of classic sculpture designs and really embrace our theme, even researching to make sure that the sculptures are specific to the species and are really unique,” said Somerset Inc. Community Engagement Director Kelley Duppstadt in a press release.

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The sculptures, mostly sponsored by local businesses, are carved by Mastro Ice Co. out of Pittsburgh. The blocks are already being set up around the Uptown Somerset area. Duppstadt said Mastro will be bringing the ice and placing the sculptures Jan. 12. Mastro also carves the annual 1st Summit Bank Ice Slide which has become a tradition for Fire & Ice goers over the last few years.

"We are so looking forward to this great event to showcase the beauty of winter in Somerset," Duppstadt said.The fire heats up the weekend with a fireworks show set to music, fire dancing and fire pits. There’s an annual 5K, pancake breakfast, a Chili & Soup Cook-off, and so much more.

“This theme has really inspired an ocean of possibilities," said Somerset Inc. Executive Director Regina Coughenour. "The committee has been swimming with ideas. Visitors can learn about sea turtles in the Mini Museum and walk outside and get a photo with a life-size ice turtle. It’s so much fun.”

Ryder and Rowan Cumo, Bedford, enjoyed the ice sculpture on the Diamond in Somerset last year, during the 28th annual Fire & Ice Festival. (Credit: Staff photo by Madolin Edwards)
Ryder and Rowan Cumo, Bedford, enjoyed the ice sculpture on the Diamond in Somerset last year, during the 28th annual Fire & Ice Festival. (Credit: Staff photo by Madolin Edwards)

Mini Museum Pop Ups featured

Visitors will have the opportunity to learn with some educational programs. This year, Somerset Inc. is partnering with the Carnegie Museum of Natural History and the Pittsburgh Zoo, who will both be bringing in theme-relevant Mini Museum Pop Ups to the event on Saturday and Sunday. Admission to the exhibits is free.

Entertainment and events add to the weekend. Families can enjoy a story-book guided stroll through town, passing sculptures and small stores, stopping in at Saturday’s Children’s Center, taking in a magic show, and checking out the train displays. Others might peruse the town while working on the scavenger hunt and viewing decorated window scenes.

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Each year, visitors love shopping at the curated winter marketplace, eating at the food trucks – one food truck will be serving alligator this year – and listening to live music at venues like the Fraternal Order of Eagles. The more than 30 vendors and food trucks will open at 3 p.m. Friday. The fireworks display will launch at 6:30 p.m. Friday from the diamond in Somerset.

Kicked off in 1994

The annual Fire & Ice Festival is held every Martin Luther King Jr. weekend, in Uptown Somerset. It is the Somerset County community’s biggest festival celebrating the winter season. Last year the event, put on by Somerset Inc., Somerset’s Main Street Program, attracted more than 5,000 festival goers to the streets of historic Uptown Somerset to take in the sights and sounds.

Somerset Inc. was founded in 1993 as a part of the National Main Street program to revitalize the uptown area of Somerset to revive and sustain economic growth and community. The Fire & Ice Festival was founded in 1994 by Somerset Inc. to invite visitors to Somerset to enjoy the winter season during what was typically a slower time for businesses.

Since its inception, it has grown exponentially, welcoming thousands of visitors to the town each year and gaining recognition in regional and state-wide publications like Pittsburgh Magazine and Pennlive Magazine.

“Fire & Ice is the most heart-warming chilly event. It is a reflection of winter in the mountains and Somerset County’s connection to this season," Duppstadt said. "That connection brings our committee and volunteers back year after year to build this event. It’s beautiful.”

Visit the Fire & Ice Facebook Page at facebook.com/ or check out somersetinc.org/fireandice.

This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Sights from under the sea ― with a frozen twist at Fire & Ice festival