Carved In Ice returns to Butler this weekend for 9th year
The Butler AM Rotary Club is proud to host the ninth annual Carved in Ice event, set to run from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Feb. 21, and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 22.
The event will offer two unique experiences over two days: the “Lights on the Ice” event on Friday evening and “Family Fun Saturday” the following day.
Friday’s “Lights on the Ice” event will be a more “adult-oriented” experience, with adult beverages being available for purchase. Alongside the live-carving of sculptures, attendees can enjoy food vendors, a live DJ and fire dancers.
“Our hope is that people may consider coming in after work, since Friday’s event starts at 5 p.m.,” Dena Martinez, a Rotary co-chairwoman, said.
“Family Fun Saturday” is the main event of Carved in Ice, and will feature more live carvings alongside music, activities, vendors and entertainment to provide fun for all ages. Attendees will be able to participate in 50-50 and basket raffles.
Staying in line with the theme of “Family Fun,” activities tailored towards children will be available on Saturday. Children can expect to enjoy a scavenger hunt, balloon art, airbrush tattoos, the ice slide and more.
The event will see also see eight contestants battle in a chili cook-off. Attendees can donate $5 to sample and vote on their favorite.
Alongside the chili cook-off, the “Carved in Icing” cupcake bake-off will also make a return. Attendees can also donate $5 for a ticket to taste, and vote on, their favorite cupcake.
The final contest that will be hosted on Saturday is a hot dog eating contest. The contest will be hosted at the Sons and Daughters of Italy at noon.
Carved in Ice serves two purposes for the rotary. For one, the proceeds go to Butler AM Rotary Charities Annual Giving Fund and the Ellen O’Brien Gaiser Center. It also serves as an outing for locals that supports Butler’s Main Street and brings in business.
“Everyone appreciates something to do in the winter,” Martinez said. “It’s something unique to do.”
This year, 62 sculptures have been purchased from DiMartino Ice across more than 50 businesses. Martinez said the sculptures are then used as a form of marketing at the event.
The rotary encourages those who wish to participate in the hot dog eating contest to sign up on-site. The entree fee is $20.
The process for the carvings done by DiMartino Ice begins months before winter weather even sets in. According to ice carver Jared McAlister, the process for planning the year begins in March and April.
“We don’t really do a lot until closer to winter, usually around the end of September,” McAlister said.
Ice is produced via industrial ice makers, and weigh over 250 lbs. each. According to McAlister, each year, DiMartino Ice produces “around 700 blocks in-house.”
For the Carved in Ice event, DiMartino is expected to use around 15 tons of their own ice, supplemented by a subcontractor.
Before the event, companies that have purchased a sculpture can either choose from a database or pay extra for a custom design.
“We’ve done so many different sculptures that we store them in a database,” McAlister said. “We have thousands of designs to choose from.”
The sculptures range in the amount of ice blocks used, depending on the size and intricacy of the design. Sculptures for the Carved in Ice event cost $500 for the first block, and $450 for each additional block.
“A one-block sculpture takes an experienced carver anywhere between 15 and 45 minutes,” McAlister said. “The larger ones usually take two or three hours.”
McAlister thanked the Butler AM Rotary for their continued support, and said they are “very enjoyable to work with.”
“We hear about the boon it brings to Butler,” McAlister said. “We’re glad to pull people downtown when they may not usually come.”
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Attendees of the Carved in Ice festival at Diamond Park look at the completed ice sculptures on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Gabby Keefer, 7, gets her picture taken at an ice sculpture during the Carved in Ice festival at Diamond Park on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Maisy Zingaro, 2, and Jackson Zingaro, 4, pet a miniature donkey during the Carved in Ice festival at Diamond Park on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Kalia Baker, 4, goes down an ice slide during the Carved in Ice festival at Diamond Park on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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Calvin Fairley, 5, left, and Lincoln Russell, 4, get their picture taken with ice sculptures at the Carved in Ice festival at Diamond Park on Saturday, Feb. 10, 2024. Morgan Phillips/Butler Eagle
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A duck carving by Mitch Schrader of DiMartino Ice is displayed at the Carved in Ice Festival at Diamond Park in downtown Butler on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Butler Eagle File Photo
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Ally Fulena twirls a hula hoop of fire during the Carved in Ice Festival at Diamond Park in downtown Butler on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Butler Eagle File Photo
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A duck carving by Mitch Schrader of DiMartino Ice is displayed at the Carved in Ice Festival at Diamond Park in downtown Butler on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Butler Eagle File Photo
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Jeremy Vreeland of the DiMartino Ice Company carves a snowflake during the Carved in Ice Festival at Diamond Park in downtown Butler on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Butler Eagle File Photo
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Mitch Schrader of DiMartino Ice carves a duck during the Carved in Ice Festival at Diamond Park in downtown Butler on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Butler Eagle File Photo
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Jeremy Vreeland of the DiMartino Ice Company carves a snowflake during the Carved in Ice Festival at Diamond Park in downtown Butler on Friday, Feb. 9, 2024. Butler Eagle File Photo
