Children’s activities big part of Ice Time festival

Published 3:09 am Wednesday, January 25, 2006

By Staff
Whether you're young, or young at heart, Dowagiac's Ice Time Festival on Saturday, Feb. 4, provides a line-up of children's activities that families are sure to enjoy, as it also fosters the creativity of youngsters.
The 10th annual winter arts festival, hosted by Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to welcome the new Miss Dowagiac 2006, who will be crowned this Saturday at the 67th Miss Dowagiac pageant, as she makes her first official appearance in the Grand Old City.
The new Miss Dowagiac and her court will oversee the children's interactive workshop on festival day at 1 p.m. at Beckwith Park, where youngsters can make miniature “snow” sculptures, crafted from marshmallows and toothpicks.
Children and adults can also enter the third annual Ice Art Competition, headquartered outside The Wren's Nest, 202 S. Front St.
Phillipson said participants are invited to freeze something colorful at home in a unique-shaped container and bring it with them to the festival.
Shop owner Morgen Pittman will display the entries on tables outside his storefront. The event is open to all ages.
The winning entry, which will be selected at noon, will be judged on originality, shape and color.
The frozen Ice Art Competition is intended to be a fun activity that children can do at home with their parents.
The Feb. 4 winter festival also welcomes the return of the popular Ice Cream-Eating Contest, hosted by Caruso's Candy Kitchen at 11 a.m.
Ice cream enthusiasts will attempt to devour Caruso's legendary Pig's Dinner, which includes four flavors of ice cream, four toppings, crushed nuts and whipped cream that sit atop a split banana.
For the most daring of appetites, Saylor's Front Street Pizzeria will host its annual HOT!! Buffalo-Wings-Eating Contest at 2 p.m.
The contest, which is sure to bring tears to the eyes of competitors, is open free of charge.
People wishing to enter the ice cream and buffalo wings eating contests can sign up festival day at each of the downtown restaurants. Both competitions will be staged on the sidewalk outside of the two businesses.
Corporate sponsors that have partnered with the Chamber of Commerce to help underwrite the cost of the $10,400 community event are: Dowagiac Area Federal Credit Union, Dowsett Chiropractic Health Center, First National Bank and Harding's Friendly Market.
Dowagiac Ice Time Festival is also supported by a $2,100 fine arts grant from the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo through the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs.
The featured attraction of the winter arts festival are the life-size ice sculptures, produced by members of the South Bend Chapter of the American Culinary Federation, who will rev up their electric and power gas tools to carve 47 ice blocks into the crystal statues that will line the downtown sidewalks.
Carving is expected to take place from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., as the culinary chefs compete for $1,200 in cash prizes.
Festival activities also include: the third-annual Winter Hibernation and Pajama Sale, featuring savings of up to 75 percent off at some specialty shops; a timber carving demonstration; the silent art auction at Beeson and Front streets, featuring the sale of two three-foot statues that will be carved on site; the professional chili cook-off at participating restaurants; the exhibition of Fruitbelt Wood Carvers at Apparel Alternatives; freshly-cooked kettle corn and the new timed carve-off competition for professional ice carvers from 1 to 3 p.m. that will be held in and around Beckwith Park.
The showcase 2,200-pound multi-block ice sculpture, sponsored by Harding's Friendly Market, will be located beneath the Haggin-Wimberley Bandstand.
Thirty other businesses have signed up to sponsor the single-block street carvings.
Companies that would still like to sponsor an ice carving can do so by contacting the Chamber.
Signage will be displayed on the ice sculptures that will be located on Front and Commercial streets in the central business district to acknowledge each of the companies that sponsor ice sculptures.
This year's festival is coordinated by Event Chairman Dr. Timothy Dowsett and Vickie Phillipson, with the assistance of members of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors: Sandy Krager; Jim Frazier, Vincent J. Jewelers; Patti Badner, Guy Eby Insurance in Cassopolis; Gail West, Wolverine Mutual Insurance Co.; and Becky Katovsich, Shepard House Counseling in Cassopolis; and members of the 2006 Miss Dowagiac Court, who will also provide on-site volunteer assistance festival day.
To receive a schedule of events, to sponsor an ice carving or to book a vendor booth to sell hot chocolate or baked goods, call the Chamber at 269/782-8212.