ITHACA, N.Y. — The sixth annual Festival of Fire and Ice took place Saturday, Feb. 3, at the Ithaca Children’s Garden. According to organizers, they experienced “record high attendance of nearly 900 participants” and that the highlights included a “Cocoa Cauldron, creations made in the ice laboratory, snow play, and activities led by community collaborators Primitive Pursuits and Family Reading Partnership.”
Executive Director Erin Marteal said that she was very happy with the turnout this year, and that the core goal of the festival is to encourage outdoor play during the winter months (a time when activity dwindles yet remains essential for health and wellness).
Volunteers contributed a major portion to the event’s success, Marteal said, and that they came from the student organizations Pi Beta Phi, the APO Service Fraternity, Sigma Lambda Upsilon Sorority, Gamma Delta Pi, and Kappa Phi Lambda. Marteal expressed gratitude for their help, and added that funding for the event was provided in part by the Community Arts Partnership and the Tompkins County Tourism Program.
Check out some photos of the festival, below.
And if you’d like to see even more photos from the day, head over to the Ithaca Children’s Garden Tumblr.