Chilly climate over the weekend helped to supply an excellent environment for a Lake Metroparks Farmpark neighborhood occasion.

Farmpark, which is predicated in Kirtland, hosted its annual Ice Festival on the night of Jan. 27 and from 9 a.m. to five p.m. Jan. 28. The occasion provided an array of actions and sights involving ice.

Visitors of all ages may sit on an ice throne, whereas younger youngsters took turns taking place an ice slide.

Talented ice carvers additionally have been available to create numerous sculptures and compete in speed-carving competitions for spectators who gathered in and round Farmpark’s pond pavilion.

In a ten:30 a.m. exhibition on Jan. 28, world champion ice carver Aaron Costic of Elegant Ice Creations took simply 22 minutes to remodel a block of ice right into a mummy.

A show of accomplished ice sculptures, together with a unicorn and a dragon, additionally have been lined up for company to admire, and pose alongside for cellphone photos.

Farmpark initially started inviting ice-carving artists to carry out at its annual FarmFest occasion in the course of the summer time.

“We thought it would be fun in the middle of July to have an ice sculpture carved, and so we put (the ice carvers) in the pavilion and they attracted a huge crowd for the sculpting,” Farmpark Events Manager Andy McGovern stated.

After seeing viewers response to that preliminary present, Farmpark leaders started to speak with officers from the town of Medina about its annual winter ice pageant.

Eventually, Lake Metroparks Farmpark determined to carry its first ice pageant in late January of 2017.

“It kind of went from there and it has grown over the years,” McGovern stated. “It’s just kind of a fun family event.”

One household that attended the 2023 Lake Metroparks Farmpark Ice Festival on Jan. 28 was Paul and Lora Gust and their two youngsters, 4-year-old Caleb and 7-year-old Adam.

The Gusts drove to Farmpark, positioned at 8800 Euclid Chardon Road, from their house in Chagrin Falls.

Lora stated she discovered concerning the occasion from Caleb’s preschool trainer.

“(Caleb and Adam) love playgrounds, and they haven’t been able to play on their playground for a few weeks,” Lora stated.

While Lora stated Caleb and Adam have been trying ahead to utilizing Farmpark’s indoor playground, the boys additionally have been taking a number of journeys down the ice slide arrange exterior Farmpark’s Visitors Center.

Lora additionally stated that the household didn’t thoughts trying out the Ice Festival’s out of doors sights in 30-degree climate.

“Better snow that rain,” she stated.

Brian and Nichole Hoaglin of Orange Village additionally have been having fun with the Ice Festival on Jan. 28 They introduced alongside their two youngsters, 4-year-old Luke and 2-year-old Atom.

Brian stated the Ice Festival was “awesome” and stated Luke and Atom thought that watching Costic carve the mother out of ice was “really cool.”

McGovern famous that the Ice Festival has an agricultural connection as a result of ice harvesting was an enormous enterprise previous to the appearance of recent refrigeration.

“People would go out on a frozen Lake Erie and they would cut blocks of ice,” he stated.