PUTNAM —  As northeastern Connecticut sits covered in a thick blanket of snow, Putnam is busy preparing for the hottest winter event — the 2015 Fire & Ice Festival. 

Feb. 14 downtown Putnam will see more than two dozen ice carvings plus fire torches and pits, family and romantic carriage rides, fire dancing performances, and a chocolate sculpting and molding contest. 

New for 2015, is a Fire & Ice Chocolate Contest. With sculpting and molding categories, the contest will allow chefs, students, and novices to show off their talents. The contest will feature celebrity judge, Chef Roberto Tschudin Lucheme. Owner of Middletown’s Tschudin Chocolates & Confections, Tschudin Lucheme is a recent $10,000 winner of the Food Network’s “Rewrapped.” Submissions and the winning pieces can be viewed at The Empty Spaces Project Gallery at 114 Main Street throughout the festival.

Continuing events include: professional and amateur ice sculptures. Beginning at 10 a.m., there will be pre-carved ice blocks as well as professional ice carving demonstrations by Ice Matters of Cheshire. Local celebrity artists Nick Swearer and Michael Saari will create works of art out of individual 300-pound ice blocks. Amateur artists will carve ice blocks, sponsored by local businesses.  From 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. family carriage rides will be offered.

As the sun goes down, luminaria will fill downtown. Fire torches will help light the way and visitors will be wowed by Fire Dancer Elektra as she performs from 5 to 9 p.m. There will be plenty of ways to keep warm, with dinner and drink specials available at local restaurants. Keepsake Fire & Ice wine and pint glassware will also be featured at select eateries. For those who want to make the evening extra special, romantic carriage rides will be available for reservation from 5 to 9. Carriage tickets are on sale at WINY 1350 AM in Putnam – advance reservations are required. 

Last year, the Fire & Ice committee held a contest to find a couple with the most heartfelt story of love and perseverance. This year, the committee is lightening the mood and is in search of a couple with the funniest proposal story. Thus far, dozens of entries have poured in – the couple with the best story will win a romantic night complete with dinner at Bella’s Bistro, champagne with Fire & Ice glassware, and a carriage ride.

For more info visit www.discoverputnam.com.