Embrace the Chill: January’s Winter Wonders in Our Region!

Ice serves as the main attraction this January, featuring Disney on Ice, ice festivals in four locations, along with a polar plunge to support the Special Olympics.

The yearly Disney on Ice presentation at Mohegan Arena in Wilkes-Barre Twp. is scheduled from Thursday, Jan. 9 through Sunday, Jan. 12, with seven showtimes available. This year’s performance, titled “Let’s Dance,” includes remixed tracks from musicals such as “Frozen,” “Lion King,” “Moana,” and “Wish.” Stitch, a playful alien, will take on the role of DJ. Tickets can be purchased at moheganarenapa.com/disney-on-ice/ and ticketmaster.com.

Damenti’s Restaurant, located at 5 Bowman’s Mill Road, West Hazleton, features an ice bar and displays of ice sculptures starting Jan. 10, continuing as long as temperatures remain sufficiently cold. Artists and vendors will be present, and raffles will support the Hazleton Art League. The venue opens daily at 5 p.m.

Scranton’s Downtown on Ice festival will take place from Jan. 17-19. The coordinating organization, Scranton Tomorrow, has chosen a movie theme. For further information, check scrantonice.com.

Schuylkill Winterfest is slated for Saturday, Jan. 18, at Alvernia University Pottsville CollegeTowne, located at 500 Progress Ave., Pottsville, operating from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. An ice carving demonstration will commence at 11 a.m. Yuengling will provide a bar, and a pierogi-eating contest is set for 1 p.m. A boilo contest scheduled for 2:30 p.m. will present the local specialty beverage. For more information: schuylkillchamber.com/schuylkillwinterfest.

The theme for the 21st annual Clarks Summit Festival of Ice on Jan. 24-26 is Under the Sea. A parade will proceed down State Street at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 24. A key event for the weekend is the firefighters’ chainsaw ice carving contest. Downtown will be decorated with 40 to 50 ice sculptures. “It’s simply a wonderful occasion to stroll around the town with a hot cocoa while admiring the ice sculptures,” remarked Milena DelVecchio, owner of the gift shop Parabello. “It will be festive, and it provides something distinctive to do during a season when many of us are often homebound.” For updates, please refer to the event’s Facebook page.

The festival will extend to the Waverly Community House on Jan. 25, featuring live ice carving at 1:30 p.m., along with more activities from noon to 3 p.m.

The Special Olympics Northeast Polar Plunge is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 25 at Montage Mountain Resorts in Scranton. Registration can be done at northeastplunge.org. Nearly 200 individuals participated last year. The event will include food, music, games, and giveaways. A planned plunge on Friday during the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins game was canceled due to insufficient interest, yet the matchup against the Charlotte Checkers will still honor Special Olympics athletes. Pennsylvania State Troopers will also take their turn in the dunking booth.