The Fire in Ice First Saturday event in downtown Frederick, MD features up to 26 ice sculptures throughout the town representing local merchants. Professional ice artist Ben Gerogosian demonstrates his craft by carving 300-pound blocks of ice into masterpieces on Brewer's Alley patio. The annual February event draws many bundled up visitors to admire the sculptures, shop at unique boutiques, dine at restaurants, and enjoy hot cocoa - creating a magical winter experience in the cold months.

1. On the corner, the eye catches a glare of spotlight; a glint from a shining piece of
glass. But it’s not glass…it’s the church spires crafted of pure ice, inspired by
downtown Frederick’s famous skyline. The next is the shimmer of a chilly cherub
perched upon an illuminated heart or maybe it’s a hot hockey player poised to
make a goal.
This is only a fraction of the beauty that abounds during the Fire in Ice First
Saturday, an event held by Downtown Frederick Partnership. Beginning in 2005
with twelve ice sculptures located throughout town, this popular event has become
one of the best, if not the coolest, events of the year. Now in its fifth year, Fire in
Ice boasts up to 26 ice sculptures that represent themes or feelings of the merchants
who sponsor them. Each piece is a marvel in the engineering of frozen water.
Ben Gerogosian, a professional ice artist for Ice Kristals, a Virginia based company,
works on the patio of Brewer’s Alley throughout the evening. He has a variety of
tools to create masterpieces for the masses. Beginning with three 300 hundred
pound blocks of ice, he spends the next few hours coaxing a basic shape into
something wonderful.
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ViSiT iT!
DOWNTOWN
HOT TIMES
IN COOL
words by joanna k. lubbes
photos courtesy of downtown frederick partnership,
opposite by aaron j. heiner – shashinka ichiban photography
Twinkling lights and warm bodies generate heat inside cool
boutiques. A sip of wine while browsing in a unique shop
translates into a toasty feeling as people venture outside into
the chill; to walk down the street beckoned by the beautiful paths
of luminescent bags placed by the curb throughout downtown.

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downtown wanderers warm as they explore the many downtown shops and art
galleries that stay open late during the event. The welcoming ring of the bell on a
store door and the cheerful chatter that is inside beckons visitors to enter and
explore each nook of every store. Music from local performance groups can be
heard wafting through the air outside on the street as diners enjoy a delicious meal
inside one of downtown’s many distinctive restaurants.
The 2009 Fire in Ice event on Saturday, February 7th in Downtown Frederick will
bring even hotter activities and more chilly fun to the event this year. “Our goal is
to reach thirty ice sculptures located throughout downtown this year. We hope
that with the addition of so many wonderful new stores and restaurants we will
make that goal,” says Lubbes. “We also received some funding to make some
marshmallow roasting stations and possibly add some games like a chess board
made out of ice. We are very excited about that as well.”
If romance is in the works or perhaps just some fridged fun is in order, Fire in Ice
is the event to enjoy with friends and family. Bundle up and bring a camera to
capture the splendor that exists in Downtown Frederick not only the First
Saturday in February but every First Saturday of the year.
www.downtownfrederick.org
Fire in Ice First Saturday
February 7, 5-9pm
301- 698-8118
WiNTER 2009
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Chainsaws begin the process. “My favorite part about doing the live ice carving
demonstrations is the crowd reaction. Sculpting in the warehouse five to seven
days a week can get pretty mundane…like papers in an office,” says Gerogosian.
“But getting out and seeing people’s reaction reminds me that there is something
cool and magical in what we do.”
As dusk moves in and the evening settles into darkness, Gerogosian begins to delve
into the details of the night. He takes out picks to chip away the face, to piece
together the turrets, to carve the mortar of the brick. A final blast of fire takes away
the frost to reveal a castle fit for an ice queen.
Fire in Ice is a sparkling evening for romantics or a magical evening for the family.
Couples wonder hand-in-hand smiling as they admire the snowman figure or the
frozen pineapple shape. Children say “look Mommy” as they reach out to touch a
carving of a bigger-than-life sized Chiquita® Banana decorated with lights, feathers
and Mardi gras beads, or the “Cat in the Hat” figure etched into a flat sheet of ice.
“It’s a magical evening with all the lights and the ice,” says Joanna Lubbes,
Promotions/Marketing Manager for Downtown Frederick Partnership. “It’s
amazing how many people we get in downtown during one of the coldest months
of the year. People are bundled up and don’t seem to mind the cold at all because
they are going to look at ice.”
The free hot cocoa provided by the Partnership helps to keep the groups of
ViSiT iT!
“MY FAVORITE PART ABOUT DOING THE
LIVE ICE CARVING DEMONSTRATIONS
IS THE CROWD REACTION…SEEING
PEOPLE’S REACTION REMINDS ME THAT
THERE IS SOMETHING COOL AND
MAGICAL IN WHAT WE DO.”
BEN GEROGOSIAN, PROFESSIONAL ICE ARTIST
ViSiT iT!