Fire & Ice 2018

For the 2023 Festival, click here.

Fire & Ice Festival, 2018
Saturday, January 20 & Sunday, January 21

A PDF schedule is available here.

The Alton Mill Arts Centre's all-ages community festival celebrating outdoor winter fun & flames returns with highlights including: an after-dusk fire sculpture on Saturday, millpond skating and curling, maple syrup and other tasty treats, a super snow slide, bonfires, indoor storytelling and indoor art activities, raku pottery firing ... and so much more! 

Thank you to the following sponsors for making Fire & Ice possible this year:  Heartwood Cidery, Van Harten Surveying, and Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.

Fun in the Great Outdoors:

Rediscover the great Canadian outdoors, in all its winter glory! Watch the magic unfold as ice carvers John McCartney, Chis von Innerebner, Winston Uytenboggart, Jim Menken, Cam Menken, Fiona Legg, and Monica Bishop chisel and sculpt Saturday and Sunday afternoon, 12-5pm. At dusk on Saturday only, take in a breath-taking fire sculpture by Brian Oates, with a musical playlist by Paul Morin, sponsored by Fireball Cinnamon Whisky. Alton Mill ceramic artist Ann Randeraad is Raku woodfiring in the Annex on Saturday, mid-afternoon. Special guest artist blacksmith Graeme Sheffield will doing demonstrations in the Livery from 12-5 on Saturday, and 12-3 on Sunday.

Bring skates for the entire family! The Millpond is available for public skating after the close of the Hockey Classic on Saturday (around 4pm) and from 12-5pm on Sunday. This year, the pond will be lit after dark on Saturday for extended skating hours! The Millpond will also be home to a small pond curling rink, and don't miss the return of the kids' favourite Super Snow Slide. Stay warm, sit by the bonfire on the Millpond Terrace, or explore the grounds and find all the year-round sculptures on site. Make sure you tag your photobooth pictures and sculpture selfies with #AltonMillFireandIce on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. 

Also for visiting photographers, this year marks the return of the Fire and Ice Photo Competition. The Grand Prize winner will receive an entire month of exhibition space in the Mill's Falls Gallery! Fine art photographers are encouraged to take their best snaps throughout the weekend and submit digital files only, online or in-person, no later than Sunday, February 4th at 4pm under the categories: Fire Sculpture Burn, Pond Hockey, and General Festival (additional categories may be added at jurors’ discretion). 

Treats and Eats:

Local favourites Gourmandissimo Cafe are providing warm and delicious beverages, soups, sandwiches, butter tarts and more throughout the weekend, located both indoors and outdoors. The outdoor menu includes options for everyone, with BBQ pulled pork, Chili con Carne, Vegan Thai coconut curry, Beaver Tails and Hot Chocolate. View the entire menu here! Expect tasty and delectable treats from The Sauce Shack, Love's Sweetness (Maple Syrup Snow Pops), Grand Spirits Distillery, Heartwood Farm & Cidery, Badlands Brewing Company, and Goodlot Farmstead Brewing Co. On the second floor of the Mill, the Pond Gallery is home to a cash bar and "Toonie Tastings" are in the Falls Gallery. 

Get Cozy Indoors:

The Mill is filled with artistic wonders, activity, and classes, open to the public from 10am on Saturday and Sunday. Meet artists in their studios, try your hand at encaustic painting in The Hive, sign-up for a group class with Mark Grice or a Mandala workshop with CJ Shelton, listen to stories with the Caledon Public Library, or visit the galleries. On the main floor: in Headwaters Arts, Synergy, a collaboration collection of works by regional artists, and in the Noodle Gallery, Essential Reflections, stunning photography-based works by three contemporary artists (opening reception Sunday, 1-4pm). In the Pond Gallery, Toronto artist Ryan Pechnick exhibits a contemporary art installation of ice and ink. Enjoy music by Tragedy Ann, and Lou Pinto on Saturday and Sunday afternoon.

Rare Threads, a fibre design and fashion shop in studios 100 & 101, celebrates all things Icelandic with high-fashion outwear design by Therma Kota, cozy knits from TresBello, Vodka samples from Reyka and delectable Icelandic cake. Vendors Circa Candles and Koka Bora Woodwoorks are located alongside Sauce Shack & the Toonie Tastings in the Falls Gallery, situated amongst artwork by the Mill's Studio Artists.

Hockey Classic:

Saturday the 20th is also the 9th annual Alton Millpond Hockey Classic, from 8am-4:00pm. Watch as teams raise funds for the Millpond Rehabilitation Project and compete for the Millpond Cup, joined by Toronto Maple Leaf alumnus Gary Leeman. The Hot Stove Lounge returns from 6-11pm, featuring the Leafs at the Sens on the big screen in the Millrace room, with pub food, a cash bar, 50/50 prizes and a silent auction. Tickets for the Hot Stove Lounge are $25, available at Gourmandissimo Cafe in the Mill, or from hockey@altonmill.ca - a few tickets are still available. Over the past 8 years, sponsors and participants have raised more than $70,000 towards the Alton Millpond Rehabilitation Project. 

Admission for the Fire & Ice Festival is Pay What You Can. Suggested donation $10 per adult, $5 per child, $25 per family. Free parking and shuttle bus are offered from offsite parking lots. Activities are subject to change without notice, and weather conditions may affect outdoor programming.

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