The 28th Annual Jim Thorpe Winterfest will begin Friday night with carriage rides and a luminaria walk.

On Saturday and Sunday, the annual celebration will feature ice carvings, live entertainment, horse-drawn carriage rides, food and drink specials, two ice sculpture bars, a special Kid’s Club area, and the now famous Mug Walk.

The Reading and Northern Railroad will return to Jim Thorpe for Winterfest. Train rides are 70 minutes round trip, departing the Jim Thorpe Station at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. both days.

Mug Walkers take the official souvenir Jim Thorpe mug to participating shops and businesses for them to fill with hot chocolate, soup, goodies, discount coupons and other treats. Mugs are in limited quantity, so tickets are available for sale now at https://www.jimthorpe.org/mug.

New this year is local blacksmith Shannon Kuhn demonstrating his craft on both festival days.

Kuhn does both functional and artisan blacksmithing, using the same tools as the smiths of centuries past, and incorporates the shapes of nature into items like wine racks and brackets. Stroll by the Mauch Chunk Opera House and see what he can create right in front of your eyes.

Born and raised in Jim Thorpe, Shannon Kuhn has always been fascinated by the things that were created of metal and iron during the period when mining and railroad flourished — things like the Switchback Railroad and canal locks. His love of history and appreciation of old artwork is what brought him to blacksmithing. It amazes him to this day that things as large as the canal and railroad system or as basic as the pick and shovel, chains, hooks and utensils were all made by local blacksmiths.

Today he does both functional and artisan blacksmithing using the same tools as the smiths of centuries past — an anvil, hammer, forge, wrought iron and steel to create hooks, fireplace tools, hinges and hangers. He also enjoys organic blacksmithing, where he brings the shapes of nature to life, incorporating trees, leaves, fruit and grapes into items like wine racks and brackets.

Here are some other highlights:

• MYST will kick off the festival with a ribbon cutting, special, music and outdoor ice luge from 3:30-5 p.m.

• A Love & Light luminaria walk will be held from 6-9 p.m. Friday. Sponsored by Conjured Soap Boutique, Big Creek Vineyard, Jingle Bells Christmas Shoppe and The Mauch Chunk Museum, more than two dozen businesses have extended hours. Pick up a walking map at for the luminaria display at The Visitors Center in the train station, Big Creek Vineyard, Jingle Bells Christmas Shoppe, Conjured Soap Boutique or Mauch Chunk Museum.

• Shows at the Mauch Chunk Opera House this weekend include: Vanessa Collier, Heart, Soul, and Saxophone, at 8 p.m. Friday; The Stranger, a salute to Billy Joel at 8 p.m. Saturday, and John Nemeth at 7 p.m. Sunday.

• Bring your sweetheart and take a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride through the historic district of Jim Thorpe. Rides start/end at Jim Thorpe at the Josiah White Park at the train station visitor’s center.

• Bounce house, vendors, refreshments, kids crafts and entertainment geared toward the kids and family fun from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and Sunday in The Ballroom at the Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center.

• The Faculty Brass quartet brings lively music to entertain visitors of Jim Thorpe during Winterfest, Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

• Gregory the Great Academy, a boarding school near Scranton for boys in grades 9-12, will perform throughout the afternoon Saturday.

• See ice bars and sculptures throughout the downtown.