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JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Celebrate the winter season at a festival that will be out of this world.

Space is the theme of the 30th annual Fire & Ice Festival, which will be held Jan. 17 through Jan. 19 in Uptown Somerset.

“Somerset is a four-season community, and we want to celebrate all four of those seasons and for people to enjoy what we have to offer,” said Kelley Duppstadt, community event coordinator for Somerset Inc., which sponsors the festival.

“We see the crowds continue to grow each year. We have people coming from out of state who plan their trips to come back home to Somerset that weekend so they can be here for the festival.”

The event will feature ice carvings, an ice slide, fireworks, a fire dancing troupe, live musical entertainment, an indoor marketplace, carriage rides, a 5K run/walk, a scavenger hunt, a story stroll, a train display, a used book sale, food trucks, vendors, a chili cook-off, the Fireside Lounge and activities for children.

Employees of Pittsburgh-based Mastro Gourmet Quality Ice will carve more than 50 sculptures along with the 1st Summit Bank Ice Slide for the festival. The carvings will relate to the festival theme.

Mastro employees will offer live carving events Jan. 17 and 18.

“The quality is unbelievable, and the detail they can get into the ice and the depth when you look at these sculptures is just remarkable,” Duppstadt said.

“People enjoy the live carvings because you’re watching an artist create a sculpture and they bring something to life out of a block of ice.”

The festival is partnering with the Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium and the International Conservation Center to feature theme-related exhibits Jan. 17 and 18.

“They will be talking about animals and constellations and how animals react with space changes,” Duppstadt said.

In addition, the Moonshot Museum will be on hand to offer virtual reality moonwalks, and provide opportunities for messages to the moon and moon rover building.

This year’s Fire & Ice Festival pin features a “Space” logo. The pin costs $6 and gives people free admission to larger events throughout the weekend.

Pins can be purchased at festival headquarters, 109 E. Main St.; Mainline Pharmacy, 168 W. Main St.; and the Mary S. Biesecker Public Library, 230 S. Rosina Ave.

A highlight of the festival is the firework display, which will be set to music, that will light up the night sky at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 17 on the Diamond.

“There is nothing better than standing on the Diamond in Somerset and watching a fireworks show in the snow,” Duppstadt said.

“It’s intimate, and it’s a show that kicks off the whole festival. It’s always amazing.”

A crowd favorite is the Hot Stuff Chili & Sensational Soup Cook-off, to be held from 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 18 at the Somerset American Legion, 162 W. Main St.

“This is a huge part of the festival and it’s been a part of it since the beginning,” Duppstadt said.

“Local service groups and churches put together their best recipes for soup and chili. Folks can come in and sample and vote and it’s a lot of fun, and it raises money for the organizations.”

She said the festival has something to offer people of all ages.

“The schedule is packed from that Friday to Sunday with things to do inside and outside,” Duppstadt said.

There is no admission or parking fee.

For a complete schedule of events, visit www.somersetinc.org or www.facebook.com/FireIceFestival.

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