Ithaca Ice Festival, December 8-10, 2016

Save the date for the Ithaca Ice Festival, December 8-10, 2016 on the Ithaca Commons!

Ice Fest is an annual tradition in Downtown Ithaca. What holiday season would be complete without a celebration of cold weather and cold weather sports…like Ice Carving! Witness the nation’s finest ice carvers as they compete for $9,000 in prizes during 3 rounds of breathtaking competition in Downtown Ithaca. The festival features impressive display sculptures, fire demonstrations, the ever-popular Ice Bar: an outdoor bar made entirely of ice, serving beer, wine, and hot cocoa, and a tasty Chowder Cook-off. Ithaca Ice Festival ice carving competition is a National Ice Carving Association sanctioned event.

Day One (Thursday, Dec. 8): Ice Bar Opens for the weekend! Visit the opening day of the outdoor Ice Bar. Bring the whole family and enjoy the winter weather with a glass of beer, wine or cocoa while watching fire-fueled entertainment at this frosty extravaganza from 5-9pm. Evening Entertainment Schedule: Coming soon!

Day Two (Friday, Dec. 9): Speed Carving Competition: The opening competition of Ice Festival! Watch carvers test their speed and skill in this one-block, speed-carve, single elimination competition. Each participant will have approximately 20 minutes to create a complete sculpture. Ice Bar: will be open and serving delicious hot and cold beverages from 5-9pm! Evening Entertainment Schedule: Coming soon!

Day Three (Saturday, Dec. 10): A full day of excitement for everyone! Carve and Deliver Competition: 9am-12pm – Competing carvers must carve and deliver an ice sculpture to a downtown location in just three hours! Ice Bar: Will be open 12-6pm for warm or frosty beverages all day!

Two-Block Showpiece Challenge: 2-6pm. This final round is the ultimate test of these carver’s abilities! Competitors will have just 4 hours to produce a dramatic and impressive sculpture using 2 large blocks of ice. Carvers will not only compete with each other for points, but also with the elements, rain, extreme cold or unseasonable heat. In early December, one never knows what the weather will be, making the competition that much more exciting.

7th Annual Chowder Cook-Off: Happening on the Commons and surrounding streets including Aurora, Cayuga and Dewitt Mall from 12-5pm, Ice Festival goers can stay warm by sample over 20 different traditional, exotic, and gourmet chowders from local restaurants competing to be crowned our next Chowder Cup Champion! Sampling tickets are for sale in advance and on the day-of downtown.