Winterfest draws crowd
PORTERSVILLE — A lack of snow on the ground didn't stop people from attending the seventh annual Winterfest on Saturday at Moraine State Park.
Various vendors and demonstrators were set up in a parking lot near the north shore of Lake Arthur. Among them were a group of ice sculptors from Pittsburgh Marriott North in Cranberry Township.
They carved an angel fish, a salmon and a swordfish from three large blocks of ice.
Greg Barchetti, an executive chef at the Marriott who makes sculptures from ice as a hobby, said the blocks need to be tempered before sculpting can begin.
Then, the templates of what is being carved are put up against the ice, and saws are used to carve around the template. Die grinders and sanders are used to finish the finer points of the sculptures.
“For me, the most difficult thing is seeing (the sculpture) in the block of ice before you cut it, which just comes with a lot of practice,” Barchetti said.
The ice sculptors weren't the only ones putting on a display.
Conditions weren't right for ice fishing, but angler Todd Young of Musky Fishing had a simulated ice-fishing demonstration set up for spectators.
He also had words of advice for aspiring ice anglers.
“Safety is the biggest thing,” Young said. “As far as going out on the ice, they suggest four inches (of ice).”
He also advised to never go fishing alone.
Beyond that, Young said to stay mobile.
“Drill your holes, and you just keep moving around until you catch some fish,” he said. “I usually catch a lot of bass while fishing in the shallow waters.”
Not everyone was there for demonstrations. The second Winterfest 5k was held, and turned out around 105 people.
“I think it was a good turnout considering the cold, frigid conditions,” said Tammy McGauhey, race co-director.
McGauhey said 126 people ran the race last year, but also noted that the weather was warmer last year.
The inaugural Winterfest 5k was run on pavement, but this year was run on a trail.
“I think overall people liked it,” McGauhey said. “It's a much better view of the lake over here. It's a very scenic run.”
James Tautmann of Pittsburgh was the overall winner, clocking in at 19 minutes, 57.6 seconds.
Emily Maxwell of Pittsburgh was the overall female winner and placed sixth overall, with a time of 22:52.4.
Some people were there just to browse and enjoy the day. James Palmer of Ellwood City was at Winterfest for the fourth straight year. His children particularly enjoy seeing dogs pull a sled, and, when it's cold enough, being able to skate on the ice on the lake.
“We do it all the time,” he said of coming to Winterfest. “Last year was a good time. It's a bummer there's no snow, though.”
