By Staff
Whether you're young, or young at heart, Dowagiac's Ice Time Festival this Saturday provides a line-up of children's activities that families are sure to enjoy, as it also fosters the creativity of youngsters.
The ninth annual winter arts festival, hosted by the Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce, is pleased to welcome Courtney Dufour, who will be making her first official appearance since being crowned Miss Dowagiac at the Jan. 22 scholarship pageant.
Miss Dowagiac and her court will oversee the children's interactive workshop at 1 p.m. at Beckwith Park, where youngsters can make miniature "snow" sculptures, crafted from marshmallows and toothpicks.
Assisting Dufour will be First Runner-up Katie Wright and Second Runner-up and Miss Congeniality Keera Morton.
Children and adults can also enter the secondannual Ice Art Competition, headquartered outside Perk and Beans coffee shop at 142 S. Front St.
Phillipson said participants are invited to freeze something colorful at home in a unique-shaped container and bring it with them to the festival.
The event is open to all ages.
The winning entry will be judged on originality, shape and color.
The frozen Ice Art Competition is intended to be a fun activity that parents can do at home with their children.
The winter festival also welcomes the return of the popular Ice Cream-eatingContest hosted by Caruso's Candy Kitchen at 11 a.m.
Ice cream enthusiasts will attempt to devour Caruso's legendary Pig's Dinner, which includes four flavors of ice cream, four toppings, crushed nuts and whipped cream that sit atop a split banana.
For the most daring appetites, Saylor's Front Street Pizzeria will host its annual HOT!! Buffalo-Wings-Eating Contest at 2 p.m.
The contest, which is sure to bring tears to the eyes of daring competitors, is open free of charge.
People wishing to enter the ice cream and buffalo wings eating contests can sign up festival day at each of the downtown restaurants. Both competitions will be staged on the sidewalk outside of the two businesses.
Corporate sponsors, partnering with the Chamber of Commerce to host Dowagiac's 2005 Ice Time Festival are: Southwestern Michigan College, Dowagiac Area Federal Credit Union, Dowsett Chiropractic Health Center and Harding's Friendly Market.
The community event is also supported by the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo through the Michigan Council of Arts and Cultural Affairs.
The featured attraction of Saturday's winter arts festival are the life-size ice sculptures, produced by members of the South Bend Chapter of the American Culinary Federation, who will rev up their electric and power gas tools to carve 47 ice blocks into the crystal statues that will line the downtown sidewalks.
Carving is expected to take place from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., as the culinary chefs compete for $1,200 in cash prizes.
Festival activities also include: the second annual Winter Hibernation Pajama Sale, featuring savings of up to 75 percent off at some specialty shops; a timber carving demonstration; the silent art auction at Beeson and Front streets, featuring the sale of two three-foot statues that will be carved on site; the professional chili cook-off featuring Beeson Street Grill, Trackside Restaurant, Wounded Minnow Saloon, Wood Fire Italian Trattoria, Zeke's Restaurant and newcomer the Fraternal Order of Eagles; the exhibition of Fruitbelt Wood Carvers at Perk and Beans; freshly-cooked kettle corn; and a children's face-painting artist at Mr. K's Wearhouse and Embroidery.
At Front and Division streets, festivalgoers will be welcomed to Ice Time by the event's unique marquee, featuring a snowmobile suspended in air, courtesy of Big Buoys Toys, Cass County Crane and Ridge/Napa.
The showcase 2,200-pound multi-block ice sculpture, sponsored by Harding's Friendly Market, will be located beneath the Haggin-Wimberley bandstand at Beckwith Park.