Carlisle’s annual Ice Art Fest thaws business’ winter income freeze

There is, however, one exception: Ice Art Fest weekend.

Now entering its eighth year, the Downtown Carlisle Association’s event will bring about 120 icy sculptures to storefronts and customers through the front doors of downtown shops and eateries.

This year’s Ice Art Fest will kick off with a ribbon-cutting and ice throne unveiling at the square at 5 p.m. Friday, and sculptures will remain on display through 3 p.m. Sunday.

Live ice sculpture carvings will take place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Saturday in the Square.

Benchfield Farms will provide carriage rides, and the 1794 Whiskey Rebellion will feature its traditional ice bar throughout the weekend.

Also returning will be the Marjorie’s Gems Diamond Dig, where 100 tickets will be sold at $20 each for a chance to win a one carat diamond ring worth about $2,000. Tickets go on sale Friday, with winners to be selected Sunday afternoon.

Business burst

The festival can give businesses a boost by encouraging residents and visitors to brave the cold, explore the sculptures and shop (and eat) small.

“We can do a slow month’s worth of business during Ice Fest weekend if the weather cooperates and the sculptures aren’t harmed by rain or warm weather too quickly,” Georgie Lou’s Retro Candy owner Stephanie Patterson Gilbert said. “In fact, Ice Fest Saturday has been our single best day of business every year by far since it started.”

While Patterson Gilbert said Georgie Lou’s often sees a pop for Valentine’s Day, the first quarter of the new year can be “extremely difficult” for downtown restaurants and retailers.

“We almost have to have perfect weather for people to come and walk around,” Patterson Gilbert said. “Cold weather with ice, snow, cold winds and rain can really give us slow days in downtown.”

For Georgie Lou’s, an Ice Art Fest crowd could help recover some revenue lost during the business’ three-week closure.

Patterson Gilbert said her entire family was exposed to COVID-19 on Christmas and two days later, seven of nine family members had tested positive.

She and her son are the only two people who work at the store, forcing Georgie Lou’s to close temporarily.

“We had to be closed for the rest of the year, which was really awful for our December,” Patterson Gilbert said. “We had a strong December that was helping us get back on track after a really slow fall and having to close for that last week of the year really hurt us.”

Georgie Lou’s is typically closed the first week or two of January, and the business reopened Jan. 17.

While Patterson Gilbert doesn’t believe the festival will help the business fully recover revenue lost during the closure, she will be “very pleased” if this year’s event brings in similar numbers compared to last year.

Meeting milestones

For some Carlisle businesses, Ice Art Fest carries meaning beyond a wintery pop of sales.

This year’s event marks one year since Back Porch Brewing opened its doors along North Hanover Street.

While the brewery plans to hold an anniversary event separate from the festival, the event is a milestone for co-owners Tim Wickard and Rod Harman.

This will be the first time Back Porch Brewing will feature a sculpture in the event.

Wickard said the business has grown over the past 12 months, implementing a bigger brewing system and recently getting back into canning drinks.

He said all of the association’s events have been good nights for the business, however Ice Art Fest brought in the most revenue last year.

“[They] bring people downtown, they start strolling around [and] say ‘Oh, look at this shop, oh look at that shop,’ and they start mingling,” Wickard said. “Next thing you know, they’re buying stuff. It brings business downtown.”

Early celebration

On the flip side of Back Porch Brewing toting a sculpture for the first time, North Hanover Grille a few doors down has participated in every festival.

Each year, owner Chris Petsinis picks a sculpture related to his family or his business.

While he wanted this year’s sculpture to remain a surprise, Petsinis is kicking off the Ice Art Fest early by featuring a live ice carving at North Hanover Grille at 6 p.m. Thursday.

“It’s … kind of a separate thing,” Petsinis said. “We’re doing this just to kind of bring in people a day early, so attract some customers in and … add another day to it.”

He said he continues to include North Hanover Grille in Ice Art Fest because it benefits not only his business but the entire community.

“It’s a big plus for everyone,” Petsinis said. “So I think when you have something like Ice [Art] Fest that brings a lot of people in … it gives businesses the opportunity to attract customers and bring customers in, and I think it’s a great, great weekend.”