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Fire & Ice
Fest coming
Feb. 11
PUTNAM — Feb. 11 the Putnam Business Association, in partnership with The Town of Putnam, will once again host the largest single ice block competition in all of New England – the 12th Annual Fire & Ice Festival.
The blockbuster event, from noon to 9 p.m. in downtown Putnam, boasts more than five dozen ice carvings, ice photo opportunities, a 30-foot inflatable igloo, character meet and greets, a roaming stilt walker, glowing fire torches, fire dancing performances, a cake decorating contest, the Ice Bar Arena and the newest addition to the festival — “The Warming Block” bonfire.
Watch professional, amateur and group carvers create their masterpieces from noon to 5 p.m., with an award ceremony at 5:45 p.m.
Three-hundred pound ice blocks will be transformed. All the blocks are sponsored by local businesses and carved by dedicated artists. Professional demonstrations are being sponsored by Gosling’s Rum, Quiet Corner Inn, Putnam Ford and The Broken Crust. Other not-to-be-missed carvings include: event-inspired photo opportunities sponsored by Northeast Flooring and Kitchens, Woodstock Building Associates, Rawson Materials, Foster Corporation, Big Gary’s Liquors and Spirol. For adult patrons there will be a MoheganSunCasino.com-sponsored Ice Bar that will be serving drink specials by The Courthouse Bar and Grille along with Ice Luges located at other restaurants.
New this year, “The Warming Block” will be a heart shaped bon-fire pit. It’s sponsored by Rawson Manufacturing
A 30-foot inflatable igloo, sponsored by Gerardi Insurance Services, will house character meet and greets from 1 to 3 p.m. and also at Kazantzis Real Estate, along with face painting and kid-inspired crafts and creations sponsored by Jewett City Savings Bank, Kazantzis Real Estate, Realtor, Jen Lehto and Big Gary’s Liquors.
From 5 to 9 p.m. JT’s club igloo will take over the igloo. Also returning is Lover’s Lane, an arts and crafts alley presented by Putnam Public Schools and The Putnam Science Academy; as well as the REMAX hot air balloon, for great family photo opportunities.
The festival also invites newcomers to discover the many shops and galleries of Putnam. The Congregational Church of Putnam will feature roaring fire pits, lunch offerings, crafts and a few specialty vendors including QCC Locks of Love, Crow’s Feet Primitive Candles and Sugarz Bakery’s tasty treats.
Also inside the church will be a special cake contest inspired by the theme “Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice”. Professional, Student and novice baker’s culinary masterpieces will be on display all day. Entrants will be scored by specialty judges based on originality, best use of main ingredient and artistic creation. There will also be a people’s choice award. One local diner, Nikki’s Dog House, is feeling so LOVESTRUCK you’ll think you’ve stepped back in time with singing and dancing waiters in an evening dining experience you won’t want to miss! Special seating times and preregistration are required.
As the sun goes down at the Fire & Ice Festival, fire torches will set downtown Putnam aglow. The ice sculpture masterpieces will be lit up in an array of color. Adding to the spectacle, visitors will be wowed by fire dancing performances from the Accidental Acrobats sponsored by Byrnes Agency Insurance at 6 and 7:30 p.m. with non-stop thrills choreographed to music delivering an epic fire performance ending with a fire arrow shot upside down from the feet of one of the performers into a target held by her partner.
For more info or to participate, either as a carver, a volunteer, a cake contest participant, or visitor, visit www.discoverputnam.com.
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