By Staff
Dowagiac Ice Time Festival's multi-block sculpture, which takes center stage Feb. 3 beneath the spotlight of the Haggin-Wimberley Bandstand, will be sponsored for the fifth consecutive year by Harding's Friendly Market.
The 11th annual Dowagiac Ice Time Festival of the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce returns to The Grand Old City on Saturday as glistening life-size works of art are carved by members of the South Bend Chapter of the American Culinary Federation
Dowagiac Ice Time 2007 is being coordinated by five-time event Chairman Dr. Timothy Dowsett of Dowsett Chiropractic Health Center, with the assistance of Vickie Phillipson, program director of the Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Development Authority, and members of the Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Rodger Smith of Harding's Friendly Market, who is a long-time member of the Chamber of Commerce and a former member of its Retail Business Committee, has sponsored the showcase sculpture since 2002.
"Rodger's enthusiasm for Ice Time is fabulous," Phillipson said. "Even before the ice had melted from last year's event, Rodger was already on the phone, confirming his desire to sponsor this year's showcase sculpture."
"For Harding's Friendly Market, Ice Time is one of our favorite events," Smith said. "The winter arts festival brings a lot of people to town, as it provides our business community with the opportunity to showcase our Grand Old City to day visitors from neighboring communities. At the grocery store, we see a lot of new faces that day, as people stop in to pick up coffee, a cappuccino or groceries on their way home."
Carving the hefty 2,200-pound multi-block work of art will be award-winning ice carver Andrew Thistlethwaite, executive chef for Elcona Country Club in Bristol, Ind.
In addition to Harding's, corporate sponsors helping the Chamber underwrite the winter fine arts festival are Dowagiac Area Federal Credit Union, Dowagiac Pizza Hut, Dowsett Chiropractic Health Center, First National Bank, Kemner-Iott Agency of Cass County, Lyons Industries and McLauchlin-Clark Funeral Home.
New this year, a three-block ice sculpture, carved from 1,320 pounds of ice, will be situated at the corner of Commercial and Front Streets, which is being sponsored by Underwood Shoes, Martin's Carpeting and A-1 Expert Tree Service.
A two-block, 880-pound sculpture, is being sponsored by Gary Booth, owner of Landmark Mortgage Co. in South Bend, Ind., as well as Wood Fire Italian Trattoria.
Dowsett said 37 individual ice sculptures, each carved from 440-pounds of ice, will line Front and Commercial Streets, which are being sponsored by:
Benny's Barbershop
Booth's Country Florist
Drs. Charles Burling and Jon Gillesby
Creative Foam
Dr. Matthew Cripe
Dogwood Fine Arts Festival
Dowagiac Area Federal Credit Union
Dowagiac District Library
Dowsett Chiropractic Health Center
Eckman Chiropractic Clinic
Farm Bureau Insurance
First National Bank
Franklin and Son
Front Street Winery
Hale's Hardware
Image Publications
Kemner-Iott Insurance Agency of Cass County, located in Cassopolis
Krager Boat Storage of Vandalia
LaSalle Bank
Laurie Anne's
Lyons Industries
Dr. Alan Montgomery
The Marshall Shoppe and Jim D's Body Shop
McLauchlin-Clark Funeral Home
Meridian Title Corp.
Pamida
Plante and Moran of St. Joseph
Preferred Printing
Securit Metal Products
Springsteen Realty
Subway
Vincent J. Jewelers
Weller Wireless
Wolverine Mutual Insurance Co.
The Wounded Minnow Saloon
The Wren's Nest
Zeke's Restaurant
Phillipson said businesses wishing to be a part of the event can still sign up to sponsor an ice sculpture for $100. She said signage will be displayed on each of the sculptures, acknowledging the sponsoring companies.
In addition to the ice carving, events also include: the fourth-annual Winter Hibernation and Pajama Sale, demonstration of timber carving, the silent art auction featuring the sale of two three-foot statues that will be carved festival day, the Professional Chili Cook-off, an ice cream-eating contest at Caruso's Candy Kitchen, the sale of fresh kettle corn, the fourth-annual Ice Art Competition hosted by The Wren's Nest, the exhibition of Fruitbelt Wood Carvers at Apparel Alternatives, a miniature snow sculpture event for children hosted by Miss Dowagiac 2007 Sara Ausra and her court, ice wine tasting at Front Street Winery and the Ladies Library Association winter book sale.
Festival organizers anticipate another record crowd for the winter promotion, Phillipson said, which has been profiled as one of the many creative ways communities across the nation celebrate the bone-chilling and often boring months of winter.