Mohican Winterfest dials up some icy fun
Olympic ice carver Aaron Costic’s crew at Elegant Ice will provide the upcoming Mohican Winterfest with plenty of ice carving action, work that includes chain saws, blow torches and plenty of interaction between Costic’s crew and attendees.
Winter is upon Holmes and Wayne counties in a big way as cold weather dominates the forecast, but in some ways that can be a good thing.
For instance, the upcoming Mohican Winterfest in Loudonville on Jan. 11 will thrive in the cold weather, which actually enhances the viewing pleasure for fans of ice sculptures, of which there will be plenty again this year.
“Winterfest is truly a unique festival. There just isn’t anything like it around here,” said Valerie Spreng, executive director of Loudonville Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a lot of fun for the whole family, and it’s absolutely free.”
The biggest drawing card for the weekend centers around Aaron Costic, an Olympic ice carver, and his team of professionals, who have perfected the art of ice carving.
“This event has much to offer in the way of free family entertainment,” Spreng said. “It’s so incredible to watch them in action and see the sculptures come to life. We invite everyone to bring the family down to check out all the ice sculptures that line the street and experience this beautiful form of art.”
The ice sculptures will be hoisted onto pedestals all along downtown Loudonville Main Street, where they will remain throughout the festival. Once Elegant Ice picks up their pedestals, the fun doesn’t end because the sculptures will be placed on the sidewalks where visitors can continue to view them as long as the weather remains cold enough to maintain the ice.
According to Spreng, a lengthy cold weather spell could mean the sculptures will be there to enjoy for weeks.
“They are all pretty much at the mercy of the weather,” Spreng said. “We’ve had years when the sculptures have been there for weeks and others when it’s been warm and the sun melts them almost immediately.”
For now the forecast remains cold, so the sculptures look like they may have some life in them after the festival.
However, for those who enjoy braving the cold temperature, the festival itself is a wonder to experience, with Costic’s professional crew of ice carvers crafting plenty of sculptures. While they do their work, part of the joy is listening to them converse with the public as they explain their craft and answer questions.
In the past they have even carved keepsake ice sculpture names for kids from pieces of broken ice.
“My son had his for more than two years. He kept it safe in the freezer,” Spreng said.
In addition, Elegant Ice has always created a unique ice sculpture that is ideal for fun family or individual photos, with past sculptures including an ice throne and an Eskimo with the face cut out so people can pose behind it.
One big change in this year’s festival is the beloved train expo will not take place. Because of renovations in the building that usually houses the enormous train sets, the train expo had to be canceled but will return next year.
Mohican Winterfest will kick off Saturday at 11 a.m. with the first of several live ice carving demonstrations at Central Park in the heart of downtown Loudonville. Demonstrations will then follow at the top of each hour until the final demonstration takes place at 4 p.m.
In addition, Elegant Ice will bring plenty of precarved sculptures they will have on display in the park and along Main Street.
There is more than just ice to this festival.
The Cleo Redd Fisher Museum will be open from noon to 4 p.m., along with Workman Cabin tours during that same time period.
There also will be a Paint on Pottery Workshop at Raby Hardware & Outdoors from noon to 4 p.m.
The annual Vintage and Newer Snowmobile Show will take place in Central Park from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the American Legion Riders sponsoring a poker walk that starts at the American Legion Hall and goes from 1-4 p.m.
Entertainer Tyler Chaffee will perform at Ugly Bunny Winery from 6-9 p.m., and there will be a free showing of the movie “Moana 2” at Ohio Star Theater starting at 7 p.m. It will show again Sunday at 2 p.m.
There will be a comedy show at Landol’s Mohican Castle starting at 7 p.m. Tickets are available online and may be purchased at www.eventbrite.com. Search for “Dinner & Comedy Night at the Castle.”
Saturday will finish with the Snowball Dance with Rockin’ Al at the American Legion.
After that, the ice sculptures will remain in place as long as the weather lasts, providing people with plenty of opportunity to drive over to Loudonville to view a most fascinating art form that looks great sparkling in the sunlight or with the village’s evening lights twinkling inside the icy sculptures.