By Thursday afternoon, the ice that turns downtown State College into a crystalline spectacle should begin to arrive, chunk by chunk.
In Sidney Friedman Park — formerly Central Parklet — the traditional Russian ice slide will start taking shape in short order.
Then, come Friday morning, professional sculptors from Jeannette-based DiMartino Ice Co. will turn South Allen Street into a full-on exhibition.
Mega-size ice sculptures to materialize there, on the 100 block, will include an ice throne, an igloo, a dinosaur and angel fish, said Rick Bryant, the First Night State College executive director.
‘It’s old-fashioned, small-town America,’ he said of the annual New Year’s celebration, a family-oriented mini-festival that spans a couple days in the downtown and at University Park.
Ice sculptures may be the most visible of the attractions, which will kick into high gear Saturday. More than 80 sculptures in all, including small-block sculptures at business entrances, will be spread throughout the downtown district. The biggest — the larger-than-life pieces — will be set up on Allen Street and in the Friedman Park.
But the entertainment agenda goes well beyond ice; it includes more than 30 performing-arts events, many of them set in downtown churches. Horse-drawn carriage rides, ice skating, food and resolution sculptures — where visitors can shed old resolutions and start anew — also are in the works.
‘We try to have a whole range,’ Bryant said of the performing arts, to feature bluegrass, classical and rock performances, among others. ‘ …. We mix up the performers, and we rotate out the resolution sculptures every few years.’
A First Night button — $8 apiece — grants each attendee complete access to all of the indoor-venue events. Overall annual First Night attendance is estimated at roughly 10,000.
Among the fresh features this year: the addition of Grace Lutheran Church as a performing-arts venue; a Contra dancing event; and a Zumba activity, to be held in the borough municipal building. Plus, a new resolution sculpture on Allen Street will offer a tunnel-like effect, Bryant said.
The fitness theme appears to be gaining traction, as the 5K Resolution Run continues to add participants. By Wednesday afternoon, the run, set for Saturday evening, had already tallied some 500 pre-registrants, up 75 from the same point in 2010.
Also worth noting: First Night, a nonprofit effort, is staffed largely by volunteers — about 150 in all — and could use a few more. Those interested can call the First Night office — (814) 237-3682 — for details, Bryant said.
‘It’s wholesome,’ he said of the event. ‘You see a lot of families with strollers. It’s a great opportunity to hear some good music, but not at a bar or in a concert setting.’
Additional information is available via StateCollege.com’s First Night page, linked below.
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