(11/28/07) - This Saturday, December 1 at 6:30 pm in Lock 3 Park,
Northside artist and ice carver Ron White will showcase his talents with a chainsaw as he
carves a masterpiece out of a 300 pound block of ice. The ice carving demonstration is
part of the Countdown to First Night, and will follow the unveiling of a Countdown banner
created by other Northside area artists. Saturday's special Countdown to First Night
program is in conjunction with the Northside Art District Art Walk, which takes place from
5-10 pm.Lock 3's Countdown to First Night Calendar is modeled after similar calendars
at Chriskindl Markets in Germany. Marking the thirty-eight days between Thanksgiving and
the 12th annual First Night Akron celebration on New Year's Eve, the Countdown Calendar is
believed to be the largest community art installation in northeast Ohio and the largest
advent-style calendar in the U.S.
The Countdown Calendar covers the huge wall of the O'Neil's Parking Deck adjacent to
Lock 3 Park, and features thirty-eight 6' x 15' panels decorated by local school and
community groups. Earlier this year, Akron's 2006 Countdown to First Night Calendar
project was awarded a "Creative Programming Award" by First Night International
for its innovative concept.
Akron's Countdown to First Night program takes place daily through December 31,
Tuesdays through Saturdays at 6:3 0 pm and Sundays at 3 pm. Visit
