Frozen artistry promises frosty fun at Downers Grove Ice Festival

Whimsical ice sculptures and live carving will be winter attractions at the weekend Downers Grove Ice Festival from Jan. 31-Feb. 2.

The Downtown Downers Grove Management Corporation brings back the shimmering artistry, featuring 60 pre-carved creations lining the sidewalks and enticing visitors to explore the town’s lively dining and shopping scene.

“Each year it changes,” Erin Venezia, executive director of Downtown Downers Grove, said of the event launched in 2010. “The talent behind each sculpture is amazing. I, of course, love the ‘I Love Downtown Downers Grove’ picture frame. The ice games are fun. The diamond ring and kissing booth always make for great photo ops. Looking forward to seeing new ones this year such as the giraffe, flamingo and a car.”

Live ice carving demonstrations kick off from 5:30–7:30 p.m. Friday at the corner of Main and Curtiss streets. The demonstrations next will dazzle from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Main Street train station.

The display of ice sculptures has been delayed until Saturday because rain is in the forecast for Friday.

“The beauty of our art is it’s born to die anyways,” said Max Barajas, owner of Nadeau’s Ice Sculptures in Forest Park, which provides all the fleeting creations for the festival. “We pray for not too much sun.”

Sun will destroy these sculptures more quickly than heat, he explained, noting the artworks last longer on 70-degree cloudy days than on 30-degree sunny ones.

His team will bring the pre-carved sculptures to Downers Grove in three vans around midnight the night before the festival to put the works on Saturday. Among this year’s popular ice game sculptures are Bozo buckets, Connect 4 and penny pitching.

The tools of the medium range from saws and chisels to chainsaws, angle grinders and four machines offering computer-aided design. There’s no design, color or font that his team can’t replicate, said Barajas, who’s also a trained chef.

“I have 10 live carvers,” Barajas said. “When I joined the company, 97% were men. Now, almost all are young females out of culinary school. Girl power all the way.”

The father of two young daughters, he said he has trained all his team members, and they have gone on to join other shops in various parts of the country.

In the past, his favorite personal ice designs have been birds and marine animals such as stingrays and seahorses.

Nadeau’s is the oldest and largest full-time ice sculpting operation in America, Barajas said. “Our founder was the first in the business – before the Alaskans and Canadians. The National Ice Carving Association was born in Oak Brook.”

People envision the carvers working the whole time in igloo-temperature surroundings, a misconception that Barajas dispels. The chilly first phase can involve welding pieces of 15-to-20-degree ice together with a heated piece of aluminum and old-fashioned flat-bottom irons.

“We have a warm half of the shop kept at 75,” Barajas said. “[There, we’re] actually bringing out ice to temper – it is a crystal formation warmth to cold ratio. [Otherwise, you’ll] stick your chainsaw in and split [the ice] in half. We leave a block of ice to temper at 60 to 65 degrees. We’re carving in short-sleeved shirts with an apron on.”

The carvers need the ice to relax before they begin chipping the crystalline structure – or, just like a diamond, it could develop flaws, he said.

“Seeing people of all ages from near and far strolling through downtown, smiling, taking photos and simply enjoying themselves is truly heartwarming,” Venezia said of the Ice Festival. “Beyond admiring the beautiful ice sculptures, it’s a great opportunity to appreciate all that downtown has to offer.

“One of the best parts is popping into local businesses along the way to warm up. Winter can be a challenging season for small businesses, and Ice Fest serves as a wonderful reminder to keep supporting them. Step inside, warm up and shop and dine local. Without the businesses sponsoring the ice sculptures, this event would not be what it is today.”

Businesses will offer a variety of events tied to the Ice Festival, Venezia said. During Friday evening’s ice carving, Olaf will drop by Keller Williams Experience Realty from 5-7 p.m. at 5122 Main St. The firm offers complimentary hot chocolate, treats and photo ops with the snowman character.

Smile Downers Grove at 5149 Main St. invites people to warm up indoors with complimentary hot chocolate and the opportunity to play a game from 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m. Saturday. Diveheart will have Scuba Yeti on hand, as well as free balloon art from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at 5147 Main St.

Visitors can tag their favorite Ice Festival picture with #dgicefest for a chance to win a $25 downtown Downers Grove gift card at facebook.com/hashtag/dgicefest.

Ballydoyle Irish Pub & Restaurant at 5157 Main St. presents musical entertainment by Leo Fron from 5-7 p.m. followed by R-Gang at 9 p.m. Friday and Mr. Blotto at 9 p.m. Saturday.

Bubbly Side of Life at 5131 Main St. offers a Sparkling Ice Wine flight paired with an artfully iced cookie for $25. Reservations are requested by calling or texting 630-200-4849 or emailing hello@bubblysideoflife.com.

To check out all the offerings and specials, visit downtowndg.org.

For those curious about Nadeau’s, Barajas invites people to drop by the company for a tour. In addition to ice sculptures, his firm provides frozen ice packs for shipping Meez Meals kits; distributes specialty cocktail cubes and dry ice; and recently launched the mobile Cool Truck Treats for the summer season – expanding a line he calls “everything cold and cool.” The food truck’s service area extends to Brookfield and North Riverside.