Ice becomes art at Sturgeon Bay's Fire & Ice festival

Christopher Clough, Green Bay Press-Gazette
·4 min read
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STURGEON BAY - No matter what the weather forecast says, ice chips will fly and snow will fall to the ground Saturday throughout downtown when Destination Sturgeon Bay holds its 18th annual Fire & Ice festival.

A number of events will take place throughout the day for Fire & Ice, as well as the traditional gala dinner dance and fireworks show in the evening. But the centerpiece is the ice and snow carving competition.

Twenty blocks of ice and four blocks of snow will be placed on sidewalks and in parking lots of sponsoring businesses on both sides of the water in downtown Sturgeon Bay, where they'll be carved, sawn, chiseled and drilled into works of art from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. Spectators can watch the carvers as they work. The competition is open not only to professional ice carvers but beginners and amateurs as well.

Ice chips fly as a carver works to turn a block of ice into a work of art at last year's Fire & Ice festival in Sturgeon Bay. This year's ice and snow carving competition takes place Feb. 18.
Ice chips fly as a carver works to turn a block of ice into a work of art at last year's Fire & Ice festival in Sturgeon Bay. This year's ice and snow carving competition takes place Feb. 18.

Once the carving is done, judges will select first- through third-place prize winners, which receive a ribbon and cash awards, in advanced, intermediate and beginner divisions. Spectators also can vote for their favorite ice or snow sculpture to win the People's Choice Award. The awards ceremony takes place at 3 p.m. at the Destination Sturgeon Bay Welcome Center, 36 S. Third Ave.

Nineteen of the 20 ice blocks are on the east side of downtown, most along Third Avenue or Michigan Street. On the west side, an ice block will be at Nicolet Bank, along with two of the four snow blocks at Bay Shore Outfitters. Another snow block is outside downtown, at Nightingale Supper Club on Egg Harbor Road. A brochure with carving locations is available at the Destination Sturgeon Bay website or at the welcome center.

As part of the festival, several downtown businesses are holding special events. On the west side, Bay Shore Outfitters offers marshmallow roasting on the patio and hot chocolate, while Madison Avenue Market will host a chili cookoff and have free samples and snacks. Popular local classic rock band Glas Hamr takes the stage at 2 p.m. at Kitty O'Reilly's Irish Pub, and Waterfront Mary's will hold a Fire & Ice Fish Boil at 5:30 p.m. (reservations required).

On the east side, Third Avenue PlayWorks will host its Indoor Winter Market of locally created art and goods from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., free glass blowing demonstrations will be given at Popelka Trenchard Gallery & Glass Studio from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Dronmhus will offers specials on wine tastings and appetizers from 2 to 4 p.m.

To get around to all the carving locations and special events, free Door County Trolley rides are available throughout downtown from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The other traditional part of the festival is the post-carving Fire & Ice Gala at Stone Harbor Resort. Starting at 5 p.m., the usually sold-out, black-tie-optional gala features cocktails, a Bubbles & Bling Raffle presented by T. Simon Jewelers, a performance by fire dance troupe Fox Valley Fire Arts, dinner at 6 and dancing to live music by party rock band Pink Houses.

At 9 p.m., the Fire Over the the Water Fireworks Show lights up the sky over the Sturgeon Bay channel. Following the fireworks, those attending the gala can continue dancing until midnight.

The weekend officially kicks off in Sturgeon Bay the evening before, with a Candlelight Ski & Snowshoe from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday at the Crossroads at Big Creek nature preserve. Trails that wind through Crossroads’ 125-acre preserve will be lit by luminaries, and Crossroads will provide hot chocolate and have a warming fire blazing away. No charge is required to take part, although donations are appreciated.

Also part of Fire & Ice is an online silent fundraiser auction that began Feb. 10 and runs until 10 p.m. Saturday, with 60 items featuring local products up for grabs via the auction site Handbid.com.

For more information on Fire & Ice, call the welcome center at 920-743-6246 or visit sturgeonbay.net.

Contact Christopher Clough at 920-562-8900 or cclough@doorcountyadvocate.com.

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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Ice becomes art at Sturgeon Bay's Fire & Ice festival