RIDGWAY – There several events planned for the seventh annual
Chainsaw Carving Rendezvous that are sure to cut through the winter
doldrums.
The rendezvous will be held Saturday through Feb. 25 at the
Ridgway Firemen’s Carnival Lot.
The rendezvous began in Ridgway and has given the town the title
of “Chainsaw Carving Capital of the World.” A small gate fee will
allow the public to have access to all nine days of the event.
The event will kick off at 7 p.m. Friday at the Royal Inn with a
black tie gala sponsored by the Elk County Council of the Arts.
Tickets are only available at the ECCOTA offices and are
limited.
The evening is called “An Affair to Remember” and is patterned
after the classic movie.
Jamie Phipps, director of ECCOTA, said this is the second gala
event and will feature jazz, pink champagne and gourmet appetizers.
Wyndfall will perform jazz music for the event and there will be
silent and live auctions.
New to the event this year is a series of workshops to help
teach chainsaw carving.
Everything is open to the public and there is no cost for the
workshops. They will be held Monday through Wednesday at the
Appalachian Arts Studio located on U.S. Route 219, one mile south
of Ridgway.
There will be two bus tours open to the carvers and public. One
will be to Punxsutawney, a winery, Quiet Creek Herb Farm and
Yoder’s Amish Farm. The second will include the Johnsonburg paper
mill, Straub Brewery and Benezette to see the elk. There is a fee
for the tours to cover the cost of the bus.
The Rendezvous started as a backyard gathering of six chainsaw
carvers. In 2000, this small group of carvers took it public. Since
then, it has grown to the world’s largest non-competitive event of
its kind and evolved into a partnership of community and artistic
spirit. Each year they challenge themselves to do better than the
last. This year, an estimated 30,000 people are expected to visit,
with about 200 carvers already registered.
This year’s event will see several celebrities, including
Punxsutawney Phil and Wanda of the reality show Survivor fame as
well as reporters from the Do-It-Yourself network and a travel
editor from the Chicago Tribune.
The week-long event will conclude at 10 p.m. Feb. 25 with a
concert at Aiello’s Caf_. Pittsburgh band Mr. Devious will
perform.
The schedule for the week is:
Saturday, Feb. 18
9 a.m.-5 p.m. – Ice and wood carving on firemen’s grounds and
featured performance carvers
Sunday, Feb. 19
9 a.m.-5 p.m. -ðIce and wood carving on firemen’s grounds and
featured performance carvers
ðMonday-Wednesday, Feb. 20-22
9 a.m.-1 p.m. – Workshop classes at Appalachian Arts Studio
1-5 p.m. – Ice and wood carving on Firemen’s grounds
ððððððððððððððððððFeatured performance carvers
ððððððððððððððððððBus tours
Thursday, Feb. 23
9 a.m.-5 p.m. – Carving on the grounds
ðððððððððððððððððððððððððððSafety seminar
ðððððððððððððððððððððððððððSaw demonstrations
Friday, Feb. 24
9 a.m.-5 p.m. – Ice carving on Courthouse lawn
ðððððððððððððððððððððððððððWood carving on Firemen’s grounds
Saturday, Feb. 25
9 a.m.-noon – Carving and carving demos
ðððððððððððððððððððððððððAuction will begin between noon-1
p.m.
