CLARKS SUMMIT, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The 2023 Festival of Ice kicks off Friday night in Clarks Summit. The long running festival features the small town throwing a big party.
With a chill in the air and snowflakes flying, the stage is set for another fantastic ice festival in Clarks Summit.
“This is our eighteenth year of the ice festival. We’re kicking it off tonight with our parade at 7:00,” said Clarks Summit Borough Council president Gerrie Carey.
Their theme this year is “around the world.”
“In front of our borough building we have the Blarney Castles. So people that can’t afford to go to Ireland, you can get your picture taken in front of the Ice Blarney Castles,” explained Carey.
Food, entertainment, contests: They have it all this weekend.
“The kids love it, there will be face painting. I mean, there’s so much to do, I don’t know what to tell you. It’s just a fun time. For a little town like this to put something on like this it’s unreal. Every year it gets bigger and bigger,” described Virginia Walp of the Sunrise Cafe.
“We love it because it brings the entire community into town, so they can appreciate what a fine area Clarks Summit is. We love to work with the kids on kid’s crafts. We have every kind of food you can imagine, it just helps to bring the whole community together,” said Anne Armezzani of the Gathering Place.
And, of course, it wouldn’t be an ice festival without the ice.
“They’re going to be carving all weekend long. I believe that there are almost sixty carvings that have already been scheduled,” stated Carey.
It will be a chilly night for the parade, but residents will bring warmth to visitors.
“People up here are so different. They are the nicest people, the kindest people that will give you the shirt off their back,” described Walp.
The festival continues through the weekend and wraps up Sunday night.
