D.O.I.T. (Downtown Organizations Investing Together) and artist Danny Kissel hosted the inaugural Shippensburg Winterfest event along King Street on Feb. 8. 

Shippensburg residents flooded the streets to take part in everything Winterfest had to offer including live ice carving, interactive ice games, food trucks and live entertainment. The most notable offerings were the 17 different ice sculptures scattered downtown and live ice carving by Kissel. 

Kissel tended to an ice sculpture carved in the letters “SH_P,” leaving the letter “I” in “SHIP” open for attendees to stand in for a fun photo opportunity. 

“When you do an event like this, you try to bring as much ice and get people’s reactions to it,” Kissel said. “A lot of people don’t get to see ice, ice carvings or somebody actually carving the ice.”

Along with all the beautiful ice sculptures, many other groups and organizations got involved with the event, including The Cumberland Valley Hose Company No. 2, which is part of Shippensburg’s local fire department. Their volunteers gave out Shippensburg Fire Department hats along with other items to those who stopped by.

They also noted on the nostalgia Winterfest brought them. “It’s nice to see the turnout,” they said. “It brings back the old feeling where you see people walking downtown.”

The Miss Carlisle Ice Queen Association also made an appearance at Winterfest, including Jossalyn Eckert, who talked about the impact of Winterfest on the town.

“I think it’s a really good thing to see what Shippensburg is all about,” Eckert said. “Giving back to the community is how to build it and make it stronger.”

Shippensburg’s first Winterfest had a little bit of everything for residents and attendees to enjoy, creating a fun environment and lasting impact on all those who walked their way through King Street’s very own winter wonderland. 

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