When is the Fire & Ice Festival coming to Somerset?
Dinosaurs are back!
Visitors to Somerset during this year's Fire & Ice Festival Jan. 13-15 will see that the community has taken on a prehistoric theme, featuring more than 50 sculptures chiseled out of ice that exhibit many types of dinosaurs, from ankylosaurus to T-Rex, on the sidewalks in historic Uptown Somerset.
The 28th annual Fire & Ice Festival will be held from 2 to 8 p.m. Jan. 13, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 14 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 15, with the Jurassic Somerset theme woven throughout the whole festival, said Regina Coughenour, executive director of Somerset Inc.
"People love dinosaurs and it's such a fun theme," she said.
Along with the ice sculptures will be an ice slide in Trinity Park along West Main Street, free to the community from dawn to dusk all three days. Some residents of the prehistoric era, including the Flintstones, may be spotted in the uptown area as well.
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On Saturday and Sunday, The Carnegie Museum of Natural History will bring its Mini Dino Museum to the Glades Court Mall. The museum is free and open to the public from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. both days.
"We hope this will inspire people to visit the Carnegie, and give them a little taste of what's there (at the museum)," Coughenour said.
Along with the ice sculptures and slide will be ice games, fireworks, fire pits and fire shows. Fireworks start at 6 p.m. Friday at the diamond. The Laurel Highlands Model Railroad Club Train Display will also be open.
Children's activities and more
Coughenour said the Mary S. Biesecker Public Library is planning a story stroll where participants can travel around the uptown area reading Dinosaurs in Winter in shop windows.
In addition, a Children's Center will be open from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the First Christian Church, 139 East Main St., with games, crafts and more planned. Two performances by Juggler Yoder are also taking place there, at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday.
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Other highlights of the festival include the annual Fire & Ice 5K run/walk, carriage rides, an indoor winter marketplace, a photo scavenger hunt, live bands, food vendors and local beer, wine and spirits vendors. The chili and soup cook-off takes place from 3 to 5 p.m. Saturday at the American Legion. As part of the festival, the Ladies Auxiliary of the Somerset Volunteer Fire Department are planning a roast beef or ham dinner from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Jan. 15, at the Somerset Borough Safety Building, 340 West Union St., Somerset. Drink and dessert is included and hungry patrons can eat in or takeout.
Bands are also scheduled to play at the American Legion and Eagles on Friday and Saturday nights.
For a detailed schedule of activities, check out the Fire & Ice Festival website, www.somersetinc.org/fireandice, and Facebook page.
"It's not just a free local festival," Coughenour said. "Fire & Ice draws thousands of people every year from Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky and across the region."
Kelley Duppstadt, of Somerset Inc. added: "People make it part of their destination. We have teams of volunteers to make sure things go smoothly. This is an established destination for many folks."
Admission pins will be sold at the Fire & Ice headquarters, along with festival information, window and interior decorating contest voting information. The office is open Friday from 2-8 p.m., Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
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This article originally appeared on The Daily American: Somerset Inc.'s 28th annual Fire & Ice Festival has a Jurassic theme
