With January nearing its end, another great season of First Fridays is on the horizon for downtown Warsaw.
The 2015 First Friday season will start up as it has for the past few years with Fire and Ice. The sidewalks of downtown Warsaw will be adorned by impressive ice sculptures.
For last year’s event, 14,300 pounds of ice was brought in to carve 30 sculptures. The centerpiece being a replica of Dane and Mary Louise Miller Foundation’s helicopter. Thanks to the frigid temperatures last year, the sculptures held up for many weeks after the event.
This year, the Michiana Ice Carvers are hauling in 11,400 pounds of ice to expertly craft 31 sculptures. Again, the Dane and Mary Louise Miller Foundation will provide the center piece for the event, with other downtown businesses like Lake City Bank, Deb Collier’s School of Dance, Reinholt’s Furniture, Alignlife, Penguin Point, First Source Bank, One Ten Meatery, B-Macs on Buffalo, Theresa Bakehorn Group, Indiana Lakes and Streams, Bobcat of Warsaw and many others providing sculptures of their own. While First Friday doesn’t start until 5 p.m., the carvers will be starting at 10 a.m.
In addition to the sculptures, the local 4-H club will host a chili cook off at the Annex from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Bailey Moore collection will be on display at Latte Lounge. Vendors will be set up throughout downtown Warsaw. Hot chocolate will be available on the square. And, of course, children of all ages are welcome to play in the snow.
This year the over-arcing First Friday theme is “Bike into the Bicentennial – Focus on Youth.” Similar to the well-received Walk-N-Wander statues that decorated downtown Warsaw last summer, organizers plan to install decorated, weather-proof bikes in planters around town.
Additionally, First Friday organizers are still looking for individual themes for later First Friday celebrations. Some tentative themes for the 2015 season are “Speak Your Mind” for March, “Movie on the Lawn” for April and “Musical May.” Contact Paula Bowman at (574) 376-0233 or ffpaula@comcast.net.
Fire and Ice will be held from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Friday, Feb. 6.
[EDITOR'S NOTE: This article was originally posted on Jan. 16. It was updated on Jan. 28 with new information]