A sculptor works to finish his creation prior to the 2013 Fire and Ice First Friday.
(Photo by Alyssa Richardson)

Though Kosciusko County is experiencing its second encounter with a polar vortex this winter, Warsaw will be enjoying the frosty conditions downtown during First Friday on Friday, Feb. 7. This month’s First Friday theme will be the Fire and Ice Celebration which will feature local Indiana and Michigan sculptors who will create incredible works of art from blocks of ice.

Centerpieces this year can be found on the corner of Center and Buffalo streets and will be a replica of of the Miller Foundation Helicopter sponsored by Dr. Dane and Mary Louise Miller. A special thank you has been extended to the Miller family for sponsoring February’s First Friday.

The event will feature over 30 ice carvings, 12 of which are 600-pound blocks. The blocks will total over 14,300 pounds of ice being carved. Should weather permit, a snowman making contest for kids and adults will be featured on the courthouse lawn. Participants are encouraged to bring a shovel for the contest.

The 4-H Junior Leaders will be hosting their annual chili supper fundraiser in the Annex Lower Level (formerly the First Christian Church). Cost is $5 for adults and $2.50 for kids 5-12-years old. Children 5-years old and under are free. Several local churches, including His Vine, will be offering warming stations and hot chocolate.

There is still time to sponsor an ice carving. Applications are available at http://www.warsawcdc.org. There is a tab on the left side for downtown events and applications may be found there.

This is the beginning month for First Friday Year of Arts. Each month, a different theme will be offered such as March’s Culinary Arts theme which will offer a “spoonful of goodness” from culinary experts from around the county. April’s theme is Re-use, Repurpose, Recycle and May’s theme will be Musical May.

June’s First Friday will kick off Walk N’ Wander Warsaw. The art of sculptor J. Seward Johnson will be featured. A total of 16 life size bronze works that depict daily activities such as reading a newspaper, jogging and window washing will be shown. The city of Warsaw and Lakeland Art Association will host the statuary for four months. The exhibit is free and open to the public everyday and maps of the 16 pieces will be available at local merchants and the CVB.