By Lisa Carolin
(Publisher’s note: Check out this drone video made by Rick Taylor from the event.)
For those who would prefer to spend a cold winter’s day outside, Robin Hills Farm was the place to be Saturday, Jan.14.
It was the first Ice Festival, and visitors could watch ice sculptures being created, could ice skate, and could play broom ball on the ice.
The University of Michigan’s ice carving club went to work with their chainsaws to create a dragon, a shark, a bear, a squid and a skier.
“Our love for ice carving is greater than our hatred of the cold,” said Ben Loomis, president of the ice carving club. “It can take two-and-a-half hours until an ice carving can be recognized.”
Participants started with 300 pound blocks of ice, while hundreds of visitors came by to watch recognizable shapes being created.
You didn’t need ice skates to glide across the ice rink where broom ball was a popular activity. Some folks stayed warm standing near the bonfires. Others visited the Greenhouse Marketplace which offered locally made products including chicken noodle soup and hot chocolate as well as live music from Cold Tone Harvest.
“This is the season when we need to lift our spirits,” said Chris Hallett, Robin Hill Farm’s crew leader.
There were trails to hike and for those who preferred to ride, there were horse and carriage rides around the property.
