Fire & Ice Winter Festival 2016
4 min read
For information about Fire & Ice 2020 click here.
Rediscover Canadian winter traditions and enjoy spectacular ice carvings, a super snow slide, skating on the millpond rink, and a spellbinding fire sculpture. Try snowshoeing or fat biking with the experts from Caledon Hills Cycling, or watch ice carvers Winston Uytenbogaart and Chris von Innerebner create a crystal sculpture garden in the Annex Courtyard. Potter Ann Randeraad will demonstrate a raku firing in her outdoor kiln, while blacksmith Ray Schindler will create whimsical ironworks in the Country Forge. Using his tools to hammer, bend and cut, he skilfully transforms wrought iron and steel into unique works of art.
Artist Paul Morin invites guests to tap their inner artist at his open-air ice canvas, and don't miss the interactive photo booth created by Lynda Clare Grant. Pop your face into the painting and snap a picture to share with friends!
Saturday only, experience a Canadian tradition: outdoor pond hockey. Cheer on the teams competing in the Alton Millpond Hockey Classic fundraiser, beginning at 9 am. Free skating gets underway late in the afternoon, and continues on Sunday from noon to 5 pm. Also on Sunday, a bona fide curling rink will be open, with “rock stars” at the ready to demonstrate their technique and assist novice curlers.
All of this excitement is sure to work up an appetite. Chill out and warm up by the fire with gooey s’mores prepared by Shaw’s Creek Café, a maple syrup snow pop from Love's Sweetness Maple Syrup, delicious samosas or enjoy a beer and a bite, hot off the Millpond Enbridge BBQ.
Indoors, stop by Gallery Gemma to see their dazzling jewellery. And be sure to enter the Count the Crystals contest. Guess how many crystals are in the jar for a chance to win a beautiful piece of Gemma jewellery.
Alton Mill's upper floor is lined with working studios and art galleries. Studio artists will be conducting workshops and demos to spark your creativity. Learn about the ancient art of encaustic - painting with beeswax. Stop by to “Give it a Whirl” in the Hive, and take home your own art card creations (Studio 201, both days at 1 and 3 pm, $20 per person for supplies), or make your mark at the “No Two Are Alike" Snowflake Challenge in Studio 206, where artist CJ Shelton will be building a collective “mandala,” a circular design made up entirely of individual snowflake signatures. No artistic experience is necessary, if you can doodle, you can do it.
Things really heat up Saturday evening when artisan Brian Oates ignites his brand new fire sculpture, entitled “The Emergence.” The match will be struck at 6 pm on Saturday Jan. 23. Bring your cameras to capture the spectacle.
After the burn, if you bleed Blue and White, head indoors to the Hot Stove Lounge Pub Night. With the Leafs vs. Habs game on the big screen, unwind and enjoy casual food and cash bar. Doors open at 6:30pm. Tickets: $20, available at Scotiabank, Centennial and Riddell branch in Orangeville (max. 4 tickets per person). As part of the fundraiser, the bank will match the purchase value of the tickets sold; Shaw's Creek Café in the Alton Mill (no limit on amount purchased).
On Sunday, CJ Shelton conducts her "Seeing With New Eyes" drawing class. Drop by Studio 206 between 1 & 3 pm to see what CJ’s students are up to, and discover how drawing helps one see the world in a whole new way.
Also on Sunday, in the second-floor Falls Gallery, three presentations by Alton Mill artists are scheduled: At 1 pm Janet Simmons Sweet, addresses the issue of global warming and discusses the motivation behind her recent series entitled “Recede.” Each painting depicts a glacier, and each has its own story. (30 minutes). At 2 pm Sandra Kunz introduces the Messenger Cards, a deck of 43 cards she has created, each one depicting an animal spirit painting that can be used to find clarity and focus, and help with personal evolution. (45 minutes). At 3 pm Margaret Pardy explains the technique of scratch boarding, the art of taking away instead of adding to create a painting. Margaret's work has a remarkable realism and beauty. This workshop is an opportunity to create your own one-of-a-kind piece.
Daytime admission by voluntary donation – suggested amount: $10/adult; $5/child; or $20/family. Free parking and shuttle bus (Saturday only) from offsite parking lots. Activities are subject to change without notice. Weather conditions may affect outdoor programming.
To download the offical Fire & Ice program please click here.
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Create lasting memories, see the works of local artisans and enjoy great food. Come join us at the Mill for one of our most popular events of the year! We look forward to seeing you!
