CLARKS SUMMIT — The Abington Business & Professional Association (ABPA) will show the American spirit in Clarks Summit with its 22nd annual Clarks Summit Festival of Ice, Friday, Jan. 30, through Sunday, Feb. 1. A big milestone will be commemorated — our nation’s Semiquincentennial — with this year’s theme of “The American Dream: Carved in Ice, Celebrating 250 Years of Freedom and Spirit.”

Local artist Darlene Milas painted many windows of downtown shops and restaurants with patriotic imagery depicting America’s beauty and history. The festival will feature around 40 ice sculptures, which will represent what has made America a great nation for the past 250 years. Some of these sculptures will be carved live by professional sculptors from Sculpted Ice Works during the weekend. The carvings will coincide with sales and specials of some of the boutiques, restaurants, and other nearby local businesses.

ABPA member Jessica Colvin’s store, Pure Suds Co., will sponsor an ice sculpture of a teddy bear, named for America’s 26th president, Theodore Roosevelt. Her merchandise will include bath bombs with toy teddy bears inside them. Celebrating America’s space exploration, an ice sculpture of the moon landing will be placed outside Colvin’s other store, The Crystal Conclusion, located in the same building. The interior will be filled with space artifacts and possibly a moon rock.

An ice sculpture of Elvis Presley will be outside the shop Parabello. Customers will be greeted with his music playing inside the store. There will be photo opportunities with memorabilia centered around The King.

“The ice festival reminds us how special it is to live and shop in a town that supports its local business,” said Milena DelVecchio, owner of Parabello, and an ABPA member.

One of the event’s sponsors, Everything Natural, will have a national park theme in store. Outside, it will also have an ice sculpture of the national bird, the bald eagle.

The ABPA put together a scavenger hunt called The American Dream’s Discovery Trail. People can get their brochure stamped at nine downtown locations. They will have the option of visiting Cafe No. 27, which is located outside the downtown area, for a stamp. The final location of the scavenger hunt will be The Gathering Place, where people can hand in their brochures.

The Gathering Place will take a bite of The Big Apple. It will have a cutout of the New York skyline, providing a photo op. It will also be centered around the Statue of Liberty. An ice sculpture of her will be made outside the building. Inside, a video will reveal the architecture of Lady Liberty. Kids will make crafts, including crowns, torches, bracelets, and keychains.

American foods will be offered at minimal prices, including Coney Island hot dogs, roasted nuts, bagels, meatballs on sticks, and pickles sticks. Beverages will include Johnny Appleseed hot cider, coffee, and tea. Clarks Summit Borough Council President Gerrie Carey will make homemade chicken noodle soup with chicken donated by Joe Fasula, owner of Gerrity’s Supermarkets. The proceeds from the soup will raise funds for Clarks Summit’s Christmas lights.

Food trucks will also be around town to provide sustenance.

Local restaurants will have American Dream-themed treats for the festival. It will be called “Restuarant Alley.” New owner of The Nyx, Mike O’Neil, will offer a donut shop inside his restaurant on Depot Street. Other participating restaurants will include State Street Grill, Armetta’s Restaurant & Pizza, and Rosario’s Pizzeria.

Volunteers will roam the streets dressed as American icons such as Uncle Sam and Rosie the Riveter. Costumes will be provided by Taney’s Costume Shop. Brookvalley Farms will provide carriage rides around town. There will also be complimentary train rides for children. DJ Frankie Carll will provide live entertainment at two locations — Spring Street and near Stately Pet Supply — on both Saturday and Sunday.

A tribute of ice

Near the clock on Depot Street, an ice sculpture called “Angel Wings of Freedom” will serve as a memorial dedicated to the late Mark Crouthamel, who was the owner of Sculpted Ice Works. He was an ice sculptor for the festival for 20 years.

According to his obituary, published by the Philadelphia Cremation Society,

Crouthamel, 55, of Northampton, died Dec. 23, 2025, in Philadelphia. He is survived by his wife, Mary Carol (Schack) Crouthamel, three children, three grandchildren, and other family members.

“Mark taught briefly at Keystone College, worked as a chef at Ehrhardt’s Lakeside Restaurant & Banquet Center for a number of years, created his Ice Sculpting company Sculpted Ice Works where many locals enjoyed his yearly ‘Crystal Cabin Fever’ creations, created Pocono Axe Works w/ Alex & Gabe, and managed Buehler’s Idlewild Inn with his wife from 2001-2024; making many lifelong friends,” the obituary reads.

“Mark was an optimist, a lover of life, and he lived it to the fullest! When younger, he played soccer, sailed, water skied, and was a Junior Ski Patroller at Tanglwood Ski Area. Mark soon became a National Ski Patroller and was a member of bountiful associations: The Paupack Fish & Game Club, the National Ice Carving Association (NICA), the United Methodist Men’s group, the Man Up To Cancer group, and the Hatty Kite Surfing group. Further, he has participated in the Philadelphia PanCan each year since his diagnosis. Mark loved to cook, hike, run, mountain bike, ski, hunt, boogie board, travel, teach, tap trees and make maple syrup, crush apples and make hard cider, bake with his sourdough starter, and even kite surf.

“Mark would like everyone to know that, as a ‘Wolf from the pack,’ the Man Up To Cancer men prefer to say that they actually ‘win their battle’ when they go home to their God.”

Kicking off live

The festival will kick off with a live broadcast at Cafe No. 27 the morning of Thursday, Jan. 29. It will feature local magician/comedian Denny Corby.

One of the event’s sponsors, Jennings-Calvey Funeral and Cremation Services, will host a live carving, live music by Tony Vergnetti, and light refreshments, from 3 to 6 p.m. Friday, Jan. 30. Owner Chris Calvey will once again host a barbecue. These events will coincide with a grand opening of the business’ newly constructed facility, Aspen Meadows Pet Aquamation & Memorial Services. A ribbon-cutting ceremony will be held at 5:15 p.m.

The annual parade will step off from Main Street and continue along State Street at 6:30 p.m. Friday. The ABPA and local businesses will make floats. It will also include performances by the Abington Heights Band and Rob the Juggler. The parade will be spearheaded by this year’s grand marshall Tara Atkins, owner of Golden Coast. Her store will have an ice sculpture of a pickaxe, representing the California Gold Rush of 1849.

The festival will conclude on Sunday, Feb. 1, with the Fire & Ice First Responder Competition at Citizens Savings Bank. Fire companies from Clarks Summit, Dalton, South Abington, and Chinchilla will face off in an ice sculpting contest. The firefighters will also square off in a chili cookoff hosted by Jeremy Holgate of Holgate’s Heroes.