Ice Fest

This weekend, my family and I went to the Downers Grove Ice Fest.  It takes place the second weekend of February in downtown Downers Grove, and usually has a loving theme, since it falls close to Valentine's Day.  This year, it was "Love is in the Air!".  They have over 30 ice sculptures all around downtown, live demonstrations, a special movie showing at the Tivoli Theatre, and a lot of the shops run in-store promotions for the weekend.  We've been to it in years past, but the last couple of years, it just hasn't timed out with other obligations, so I was excited at getting to check it out again.

Weather around the Chicagoland area has been, well, unpredictable to say the least.  Outdoor festivals always have their challenges.  You would think that ice in February would not be a big problem, but this year, it was about 40 degrees out, and raining on and off.  We still braved a quick walk-about to check out some of the cool (pardon the pun) creations.  The sculptures were intricate and creative.  Some had other objects encased in the ice to add effects and color.  We stopped and watched the carvers works, using chainsaws and irons and chisels.  One of the demonstrators handed out baggies that contained a chunk of ice with a coin sealed in the middle of it to each of the kids.  Talk about a lesson in patience!

I think the pictures tell the story pretty well on their own.  If you're interested in this event, or others in Downers Grove, check out www.downtowndg.org.