Erie's Perry Square brings dead of winter to life with 3 days of ice carving, music, food

Sick of snow and ice? Don't be. They really can be quite beautiful. Need proof? Amble down to Perry Square on Thursday, Friday and Saturday to watch the creation of more than 40 ice sculptures as well as a local music festival.

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It's part of the first Erie Winter Carnival that organizer David Tamulonis of the Erie Downtown Partnership hopes will become a growing annual event downtown.

"It's been a year or so of planning this event as we're looking into beefing up winter programming and bringing events downtown during what is a typically slow month for downtown businesses," said Tamulonis, the event coordinator for EDP.

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Just to prove that ice isn't just something you slip on, six professional ice carvers from DiMartino Ice in Jeannette will create more than 40 interactive sculptures along the sidewalks through and around the park. Meanwhile, live music and food huts and other carnival activities will be open 5 to 9 p.m. Thursday and Friday, and noon to 9 p.m. Saturday.

Professional ice sculptors will work on pieces throughout the weekend and Tamulonis said the square will look different every day as the carvers finish their works.

"The live carving will take place Thursday and Friday evenings, along with the entertainment," Tamulonis said.

By 2 p.m. Saturday, all carvings will be done, including about a dozen large ones and many smaller, what (carvers) call 'one-block' sculptures. The public is welcome to watch preparations during the day Thursday and Friday.

Tamulonis said six local food and beverage vendors will rotate use of four sheds in Perry Square every night of the festival. Restaurants in the Flagship City Food Hall on North Park Row also will be open. A souvenir photo booth will be available as well.

Some might think winter can be a drag in this part of the world, but there's something about its beauty worth celebrating, too. Tamulonis said he expects the event to go off every year around this time and to grow with each effort.

"Erie is a great winter activity spot," he said. "We're hoping to bring in more ways to celebrate that every year."

So bundle up and head down to see what the chainsaws and picks and shovels hath wrought, warm up with some dinner and, if nothing else, try to remember that the spring equinox is only three weeks away.

Entertainment lineup

Thursday

DJ Jonny Evans: 5:30 to 8 p.m.

Friday

Doc Proto: 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Jennifer Dennehy and Flow Friends Fire Dancing: 6:45 to 7:15 p.m.

The CEE Brown Experience: 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Saturday

Brooke Surgener: 5 to 6:30 p.m.

Jennifer Dennehy and Flow Friends Fire Dancing: 6:45 to 7:15 p.m.

Jeremy Jaeger: 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Contact Jennie Geisler at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @ETNgeisler.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie embraces winter with 3-day ice and music festival in Perry Square