If you go
What: Loveland Fire & Ice Festival
When: 5-10 p.m. Friday, Feb. 10; 10 a.m.-10 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 11; and 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 12
Where: E. Fourth Street, Loveland from North Garfield Avenue to North Jefferson Avenue
Cost: Free for the festival; costs vary for refreshments and certaub activities
More info: lovelandfireandice.com
The Fire & Ice Festival is starting to grow into what it was always intended to be — a place to show all of what Loveland has to offer.
“It’s almost like a world’s fair of Loveland,” said Nate Webb of Blazen Illuminations.
This is the third year the company has organized the event. The festival originated as an extension of “Sculpture in the Dark,” an event that featured a snow sculpting competition in Loveland. Over the last two years, Fire & Ice moved toward more snow sculpting and has expanded to include food trucks and several entertainment stages with local performers.
“We have always felt the festival itself is a celebration of Loveland, and there are so many aspects of Loveland to showcase,” Webb said.
New additions this year include a mobile phone app and a Brewing and Distillery Arts tasting tour.
Fire & Ice is part of a series of events that tie into Loveland’s month-long celebration of Valentine’s Day. It includes old traditions, such as the annual Valentine’s re-mailing program and wooden hearts with hand-painted messages from the Thompson Valley Rotary Club, as well as new ones, such as Valentine’s coffee from Brewsworthy, beer from Grimm Brothers and a group wedding from My Big Day. The festival is just one piece of the Valentine’s celebration in the Sweetheart City.
“Valentine’s and Loveland just makes sense, it’s always made sense.” Webb said. From the beginning. Fire & Ice was to be part of the larger picture, and it’s changing to help meet that goal.
“We are seeing all that energy come together into what we originally intended,” he said.
The Fire & Ice Festival will take place Feb. 10-12. It will stretch from North Garfield Avenue to North Jefferson Avenue on East Fourth Street.
As Fire & Ice grows, organizers add more and more attractions. Below is what to look for.
Fire and Ice Mobile App
With over 150 performers and vendors, ice carving demonstrations and new additions, Fire & Ice has added a moblie app to help attendees find the attractions that interest them.
“This is really the coolest thing,” said Webb. “It will drive the interaction and make it a super fun place to be.”
The app includes the whole festival schedule and ways to plan where you need to be to see your favorite bands, catch the ice carving demonstrations, or find vendors.
Attendees who download the app compete for prizes through a game.
“The game is like a scavenger hunt to gain points,” said Webb.
The idea is to get participants to experience different places in Loveland. Some tasks may be to see an artist while others may require purchasing food at a local restaurant.
Some part of the app will be available before the event but the whole app will be available on the weekend of Fire & Ice.
Brewing and Distillery Arts
“This is about a tasting tour experience,” said Webb. The brewer and distillers will be on location with the food trucks on Fourth Street west of North Railroad Avenue.
Participants can buy tokens — 10 tokens for $20 or five for $10, in advance or day of the event, for tastings. The tokens are good all weekend during the designated times for the brewers and distillers.
There will be over 25 tasting options from Grimm Brothers Brewhouse, Crop Hop Brewing Co., Sweetheart City Wines, Climb Hard Cider Co., Big Thompson Brewery, Verboten Brewing, Decadent Saint Winery, Mo’ Betta Gumbo Moonshine, Loveland Ale Works, and Big Beaver Brewing Company.
“We want it to be that world showcase of Loveland,” Webb said.
Ice Sculpting
“We don’t have teams specifically,” Webb said. “We have invited ice carving businesses.”
The ice sculpting part of Fire & Ice this year will highlight how carving can be used in business format.
Companies like Struckman Sculpture Ice will demonstrate what they can do.
“We created three spaces that we are calling ice galleries, these are not competition spaces,” Webb said. The ice sculpting artists will be making items both big and small.
“These are galleries for these individual people to showcase what they do best,” Webb said.
Entertainment
“Three different days and about 30 musicians and that doesn’t count the other artists,” Webb said.
Four stages throughout the festival include musicians like Dale Cisek, Emma Marie, My Blue Sky and The Violet Tides. The stages will also feature performance groups such as fire artists, Harrington Arts Alliance and the drumming of Djembe Jive. All acts will be listed on the mobile app.
“The idea is that we want to showcase these people and make sure people don’t miss them,” he said.
Miscellaneous
The Food Truck Food Court is expanding. Located with the Brewing and Distillery Arts near the main entertainment stage, 14 trucks will be serving a variety of foods. Vendors include Liquid N2 Ice Cream, Bigs Meat Wagon, The Human Bean, and The Waffle Lab.
“Even the food trucks are going to be listed as ‘artist’ because they are doing amazing things,” Webb said.
The vintage carousel will return with the Family Fair. Kids can enjoy an expanded section of games.
Meet and Greets will be available with the Colorado Eagles hockey team and their mascot, Slapshot. Wand’s and Wishes Snow Queen and Snow Princess may be working a bit with the ice carvers and the 501st Darth Vadar’s Legions will be around for photos.
“Come out and have fun with all these groups and get your picture with them,” Webb said.
Our Heroes Vehicle Showcase will feature fire trucks and other emergency personnel vehicles.
“We found there is a large collection of fire trucks in the area,” said Webb.
The Marketplace for Loveland vendors is growing a bit more this year as well.
“It offers another place for businesses who are not necessarily musicians or brewers,” he said.
They include a variety of family friendly vendors that don’t compete with the local downtown businesses.
“Business is an art in Loveland,” Webb said. It offers a look past the big box stores and a focus on the eclectic stores and businesses in the area.
“Fire & Ice Festival is about featuring the love of art and business and showcasing that to the world during that Valentine season,” said Webb.
The idea is to always have something to see or do througout the three day festival, and each night will end with a fireworks display over the main entertainment stage.
“Everywhere you look is going to be something magical, amazing, and something you are going to want to come back for,” Webb said.
Michelle Vendegna: 970-699-5407, vendegnam@reporterherald.com
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