A drone captures the Ice-A-Fair Fire vs Ice finale.
Chris Millsaps Photography & Travels
The 15th annual Ice-A-Fair was hosted by Main Street Vermilion Saturday, February 3rd in Historic Downtown Vermilion. The weather cooperated and the sun came out for a perfect day for a winter outdoor festival.
Downtown Vermilion was packed with festival goers walking the sidewalks of downtown enjoying the festival.
“The event was started back in 2009 by Main Street Vermilion as a way to bring people into the downtown area and enjoy some of the shops and dining options it has to offer,” said Kate Repola, executive director for Main Street Vermilion. “Since its start, the event has just continued to grow exponentially each year.” (#1)
70 local merchants and organizations donated ice sculptures for the event. Ritter Public Library held their Chocolate Fest fundraiser event to much popularity and success. Lines were out the door and the Library was filled with every kind of chocolate sweet the mind could imagine.
There were train rides for the kids being given on Main Street. A frozen play space was constructed for the youngsters to play in front of the parking lot on Grand and Liberty that was played on with much joy by many children that attended.
A 40 minute trolly ride into Historical Vermilion featured Linwood Park, the Lagoons, Downtown lakefront homes and the History of the area. Multiple demos in front of local storefronts of ice sculptures were made in real time by local artists in front of captivated audiences.
Ten one hundred dollar bills were frozen into a block of ice for the grand prize of the event. This raffle for the ice cash been popular since the event’s inception. The winner receives the block and it’s up to them to thaw out and dry the cash.
Always read the fine print… Even if it’s in a block of ice. To be fair, the winners always seem happy to wait it out for their prize.
There are no food trucks for this festival and is 100% supported by local merchants for food and beverage. The local businesses enjoyed a huge crowd and bump in business for the event. Hot chocolate was given out at several locations for free as a way to keep everyone warm and having fun.
The event ended at Exchange Park with the Fire and Ice battle. A large hollow tower of ice is filled with wood and lit on fire from a hole at the bottom. The whole attending crowd gathers around the structure as it’s lit and then the battle begins.
As Fire and Ice battled, a DJ played music and local fire dancers lit objects and danced around for the crowd. This year ice won as the walls of the tower engulfed fire as they fell onto it.
We wanted to thank Main Street Vermilion and all the individuals, merchants and groups who worked and supported the event. Below is an excerpt from their website thanking many of those involved.
“Main Street Vermilion gives thanks our Event Sponsors Shores & Islands Ohio, Vermilion VFW Post 7576, the DORN Foundation, Erie County Community Foundation, Lorain County Visitors Bureau, Tiffany’s, Beth & Dave Eberhard, Fred & Monica Miggins, and Tony & Diana Szambecki for their generous support of Ice A Fair 2024. Partnerships, like these, help bring events like ice A Fair to life! Visit their websites and plan your next Lake Erie winter adventure or summer getaway.”
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Did you attend the 2024 Small Town Ice-A-Fair? What did you enjoy the most?