The Fire & Ice Festival, running January 22-24, is one of the premier Oakland County quality of life events that brings entertainment to residents and visitors. In its 9th year, the festival expects to draw more than 40,000 visitors to Downtown Rochester, and surrounding areas. There are events for the entire family including sledding, ice skating, live musical performance, Chill at the Mills 5K and more.
Oakland County Executive, L. Brooks Patterson says, “This event highlights the beauty of Oakland County and Downtown Rochester. The Fire & Ice Festival brings visitors to the area who might not otherwise have the chance to experience fun events like dog sled rights, tobogganing, and ice carving.” New to the festival this year, students from six colleges and culinary arts programs will carve sculptures out of blocks of ice with the hopes of grabbing top honors on Saturday, January 23rd. The contest will help some student sculptors to practice for the upcoming National Ice Carving Association (NICA) U.S. Collegiate Championships and Pro/Master Revisited Competition.
Competing in the Fire & Ice Carving Competition are the second and third place collegiate champions Katlin Pfropper and Alex Wagner, both from Macomb Community College. other ice artists will represent Oakland Community College, Henry Ford Community College, The Art Institute, Dorsey Schools, and the University of Michigan. Visitors can watch the carvers work from 10 a.m. – 1 p.m., and join them in the evening as the winner is announced.
Chill at the Mills 5K race returns on Sunday, January 24th. The run begins at Rochester Mills Beer Company and weaves its way through Rochester, giving runners a beautiful Winter tour of the city and parks. Registration is open online, or via mail, and race maps are available for anyone interested. Register before January 15th to receive your long sleeve shirt for the race.
The Big Bright Light Show will shine one more time during the festival. If you missed the beauty of Downtown Rochester glowing during the Holiday season, this is your last chance! Meander up and down Main Street to shop and take in the beauty of the lights during the Fire & Ice Festival.
Entry to the festival is free thanks to sponsors; Oakland County Credit Union, Soave Enterprises, Hour Detroit, and Shelton Buick. Festival goers are welcome to ride the shuttle from Buffalo Wild Wings at 1234 W. Walton Blvd. Find the full schedule for the weekend on www.oakgov.com/parks. Follow the Fire & Ice Festival on Facebook for more event information. Share your posts on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook using #FireAndIce and #OaklandCounty to join the conversation.