It’s that time of year again when Downtown Frederick, Maryland, plays host to what can equally be deemed the region’s hottest and coolest wintertime event. It’s the seasonal return of Fire in Ice, and it’s happening this weekend!
Made possible by the Downtown Frederick Partnership, this annual wintertime folly has been keeping the spirits of locals and visitors alike warm and cheerful for many years now. It comes as a most befitting, mood-boosting midwinter endeavor, just at the right time during that lean season between the holidays and spring’s still too far-off thaw. This year’s event kicks off Friday evening, January 31, and will run all day Saturday, February 1. Sunday, February 2, marks the official conclusion.
Opposites attract in this culmination of fire and ice with live professional pyrotechnic performers on the scene to thrill and amaze, along with impressive ice carving demos guaranteed to awe all. Friday’s festivities kick off with fire performances and a live ice carving demo at Everedy Square & Shab Row. This also marks the opening of the Polar Lounge on 15 E. 6th Street, featuring ice bar tops, ice luges, an ice curtain perfect for photo ops, a fire tower, games, music, and more. The Ice Games Center at 331 N. Market Street will also open this evening.
Come out and enjoy plenty of family-friendly games and activities, including giant yard games, marshmallow roasting, and that famed Ice Putt-Putt course, everyone’s looking to try at this year’s event. And be sure to catch fire performances by Pyrophoric at Carroll Creek from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. Friday’s festivities will run from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Return to the scene on Saturday at 11 a.m. for daylong happenings to take you through the evening into the 9 p.m. conclusion. More than 100 impressive ice sculptures will be featured throughout town, navigable via complimentary marked maps you can pick up at various locations or download online.
Ice Games will also be ongoing throughout the day, along with Polar Lounge operations. A host of live musical performances will take place, along with several pop-up Fire Performances at various times. The Food Truck Court at the Carroll Creek Amphitheater will be open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. and marshmallow roasting stations will operate between 4 p.m. and 9 p.m. A family-fun scavenger hunt will be featured for any endeavoring participants beginning at noon and running through 6 p.m.
Sunday, February 2, is the wrap-up day. The main featured event will be a self-guided walking art tour, which you can take between noon and 4 p.m. in Downtown Frederick. See artist Jaz Parks exhibiting ceramics and pottery at the Delaplaine and check out the exciting pop-up market.
Free shuttles will be running all day on Saturday, in 15-minute intervals from three convenient locations. Also, note that all parking garages in the Downtown vicinity will be available to visitors for $10, between 11 a.m. and 9 p.m. To learn more about Frederick’s Fire in Ice weekend happenings visit the Downtown Frederick Partnership’s website link.