Approximately 1,000 attendees braved chilly temperatures to watch ice sculptors in action, meet some sled dogs, snack on smores and fare from food trucks, or take a stroll in the dormant winter landscape on Jan. 21 at an annual Fire & Ice Walk at Vermilion River Reservation of the Lorain County Metro Parks.
Characters from the mega-Disney hit Frozen were spotted strolling the grounds and posing for pictures with the younger attendees.
Fire pits were sprinkled throughout the park, allowing attendees to stay warm on the grey, cold, and snowless day.
The original plan called for attendees to be able to do some of the hiking in snow shoes, but with no snow to be found, that portion of the event became more of a show-and-tell than one of active participation.
Families, many with young children, made up the bulk of those in attendance.
“We have a lot of winter activities going. There are ice carvings, the sled dog team demonstration, and talks, nature hikes,” said Matt Kocsis, a senior naturalist for the Metro Parks, who found himself busy checking in attendees as well as directing traffic as part of his duties.
Although the lack of snow was somewhat of a bummer, the temperature – which hovered at just above freezing – made being outdoors far more bearable for this year’s event as compared to 2022 when the thermometer read an arctic-like 10 degrees Fahrenheit.
“I’m very happy with the turnout,” Kocsis said of the crowd. “We wished we’d have had snow. It’s cold, but not that cold.”
Melissa Turner attended the event with family members.
“It was something to do,” said Turner of what drew her to want to spend hours outside in the freezing cold. She was not alone. Kocsis noted that all 1,000 tickets that were available were sold.
Jarrett Beard and George Mayse, students at the EHOVE career center, were two of the ice sculptors. Mayse said it was his first time trying his hand at the craft.
“I’m just hoping the block of ice doesn’t break when I’m working on it,” said Mayse.
