FREDERICK, Md. — When the cold weather starts to set in in November, most people turn up the heat and stay warm indoors. But for Connor Shaw, November marks the start of long days spent working in an 18-degree freezer.
And no, he doesn’t get cold.
Shaw is an ice sculptor and the logistics manager at Ice Lab, a business that produces and sells cocktail ice and artesian ice sculptures located in Cambridge and Glen Bernie, Maryland.
November through February is Ice Lab’s busiest time of year for ice sculptures, according to Ice Lab owner and president Ricky Fitzhugh, creating masterpieces for ice festivals across the DMV.
“Each one is different,” said Shaw, “one could take 20 minutes, one could take almost two hours…This time of year, we try to do as much as we can.”
He added that their team makes as many as 20 ice sculptures a day to meet demand. Shaw learned to carve when Ice Lab needed more people in the freezer.
“It was really learning on the fly. I hopped in here and watched my coworkers do it and learned from mistakes and got a little bit of guidance here and there,” he said.
Other carvers at Ice Lab have backgrounds in the culinary industry.
“Some carvers start in wood and transition to ice. Some start in fruit and transition to ice,” said Fitzhugh. “There's a lot of different things that can tie in with it. But the main thing is artistic ability, and not mind working in below 20-degree temperatures all the time.”
Over 60,000 pounds of ice go into making sculptures for some of the ice festivals. Each 300-pound block takes two to three days to freeze, and some sculptures are made from multiple blocks.
For Frederick, Maryland's annual Fire In Ice Festival, Ice Lab creates 128 ice sculptures - the most of any festival they work.
Despite the lengthy and tedious process, Fitzhugh’s passion for his craft is clear.
“The rewarding part is going to a festival and seeing thousands of people and knowing that it has a big effect on the community,” he said. “To have an event that is free, family-oriented, I think it's really good. It’s valuable to the merchants because, after Christmas, a slow season, it brings a burst of revenue for them.”
Deena Kilmon helps organize the Chesapeake Fire & Ice Festival in Easton, Maryland.
“It's an economic generator that you just can't beat,” said Kilmon. “All the locals come out, the people that are in town and live downtown, they come in and experience a different side of their town that they might not see in the summer.”
Shaw added that he enjoys watching people enjoy the sculptures, too.
“When all that hard work goes into it, and people really love them and make a special moment out of it, that's really awesome,” he said.
If you want to check out the ice sculptures and festivities for yourself, there are still a few ice festivals remaining this year:
- Fire in Ice in Frederick, Maryland – February 2, 3 and 4
- Chesapeake Fire & Ice Festival in Easton, Maryland – February 16 and 17
Other annual ice festivals to check out next year include:
- Cambridge Ice & Oyster Festival in Cambridge, Maryland
- Frost & Flame in Annapolis, Maryland
- Harbor Point Ice Fest in Baltimore, Maryland
- Leesburg Ice Festival & Carving Competition in Leesburg, Virginia
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