Carved in Ice to turn up the heat after winter weather
After brutal colds and a snowstorm kept residents inside even more than usual this winter, the Butler AM Rotary Club is looking to turn up the heat with the 10th year of its annual February event.
Carved in Ice is back Friday and Saturday, Feb. 20 and 21, in Diamond Park in Butler. The event will once again be split across two days, with Friday offering a more adult-oriented experience while Saturday will be focused on family events.
Dena Fitzpatrick, a member of the Rotary club, said Friday’s celebration runs from 5 to 8 p.m., and will feature a DJ, fire dancers, live ice carving and alcoholic beverages as the first ice sculptures light up Diamond Park.
“It should be a fun, adult-leaning type of night,” she said.
The sculptor for this year will be Glacial Ice Works, owned and operated by Jared McAlister. He said the team behind Glacial Ice Works is the same as the one behind the carving last year, despite the new name.
He said carving sculptures for crowds is a lot of fun and adds some variety to his work — the bigger and more intricate, the more exciting.
“Most of the time I’m stuck in a windowless room carving ice, so it’s nice to get outside and see the all the places I get to visit,” McAlister said. “Butler has a lot of historical buildings and beautiful vistas.”
Saturday’s festivities will run from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., and will feature more ice carvings and a plethora of children’s activities, such as a scavenger hunt, air brush art, the children’s ice slide and more.
“Something new this year is that there’ll be story-time by Penn Christian Academy at the Grace Community Wellness Center twice in the day with a little activity afterward,” Fitzpatrick said. “I believe the story will be about ice skating, so we tried to keep it on theme.”
Attendees can walk Diamond Park and view the sculptures while getting food from various trucks. The Oscar Mayer Weinermobile will also attend the fest Saturday.
There will also be a 50/50 raffle offered in front of the Butler County Courthouse and a basket raffle offered in the Butler Art Center & Gallery from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Attendees will also see some familiar contests, such as the “Carved in Icing” bake-off at the art center from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. This year, four vendors will compete to make the best sugar cookie they can.
Those interested can make a $5 donation to taste and vote on their favorite.
The chili cook-off will also be making a return with nine total competing vendors including the Monroe Hotel, the 11th Frame Bar and Grille, Rachel’s Roadhouse and more. The competition will run at the art center alongside the bake-off.
This year, however, two awards for the cook-off will be given out.
“We’re going to have judges that vote and a people’s choice,” Fitzpatrick said.
One of the judges of the chili cook-off is Butler Mayor Bob Dandoy, who said he’s always willing to help the Rotary — especially if the help they need is tasting chili.
“They asked me and I like chili,” he said with a chuckle as his reason for participating.
Dandoy said for the past 10 years, the Rotary has offered the community something to do in the middle of winter, which is sometimes sorely needed.
“We’re just coming out of all of that snow and it’s been a rough month for people,” he said.
Those interested in tasting chili and voting for the people’s choice winner can also make a $5 donation to do so.
Whether the laid-back entertainment of Friday or the bustling day of festivities on Saturday, Fitzpatrick said the Rotary is hopeful that they have something to offer for everyone in the two days of celebration.
