Lewisburg's 2013 Ice Festival

Ribbons announcing the Ice Festival on all the street lamps

Although I just heard from Punxsutawney Phil, the weather prognosticating ground hog, that he did NOT see his shadow and therefore WARM temperatures are right around the corner, the temperature is currently at a solid 16 degrees right here in Lewisburg, Pennsylvania.

It's cold.  My oh my, it's frigid.  The snow is not melting, and neither are the ice sculptures in the town park and in front of many of the stores along our main street.

This weekend we are celebrating the 10th annual Heart of Lewisburg Ice Festival, and each year it seems to get bigger than the year before.  But as always, the main things that draw thousands of out-of-towners to our humble little place are the ice sculptures.  Oh, there's a plethora of other activities going on too.  There's a singing group, A Cappella, in the theatre, a Flamenco dance show, late night shopping, a Frosty 5-K run, snow games in the park, a chili cook off in the local pub, a children's show in the Bucknell University campus performing arts center, a free showing of the movie "Ground Hog Day," and even a chocolate lovers' festival.  Whew!  Plenty of entertaining things to see and do for all ages.

Also, for the very brave and charitably-minded folks, there is the Polar Bear Plunge, right down the road from us.  For a mere $20 donation, you can take off your clothing and jump into the frigid icy water of the good old Susquehanna River with the other like-minded nutcases folks.  It's easier for me to donate $20 to the Cancer Fund in an envelope from my toasty warm office.  Fun though, to watch the crowds jump and then react to the shock of the chilling water.  Thankfully there are always medical personnel standing by, just in case.

The Polar Bear Plunging area is marked off and ready for the event:

Because the husband/lover/best friend and I have lived around here for quite a while, we find the most enjoyment out of seeing the various ice sculptures around the town.  Some years we take a walk, enjoying the ice art, but this year a drive had to suffice.

On the Friday afternoon of the start of the Ice Weekend, the master carver works on the largest sculpture which is in the town park and visible from the main street.  Here he is putting on the finishing touches:

We found a frosty mug of beer out in front of the local watering hole:

And a few others throughout the town:

I love it when small towns, like ours, find reasons to create a celebration.  I read numerous other blogs, and I always enjoy reading reports of town fairs, parades, apple pie festivals, chicken week, or whatever.  Heartwarming.  

Stay warm.  Stay dry.  Have a sparkling day, folks.

Oh, this just in - the husband/lover/news collector just informed me that the Polar Bear Plunge has been cancelled for this year.  Officials have decreed that the river is too high to plunge safely.  Better to be safe than sorry.