Full Schedule Events for Rochester Fire & Ice Festival

ROCHESTER, MI – The first-ever college ice carving contest will be held this year at the ninth annual Rochester Fire & Ice Festival to be held Jan. 22-24.

The college competition, which takes place on Saturday, Jan. 23, will pit students from six colleges and culinary arts programs in a carving competition using blocks of ice.

The competition is trial run for student ice sculptors competing in the upcoming National Ice Carving Association (NICA) US Collegiate Championships and Pro/Master Revisited Competition to be held Jan. 29-31 in Frankenmuth, MI.

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Students participating will include last year’s second- and third-place collegiate champions, Katlin Pfropper and Alex Wagner, both of Macomb Community College. Other ice artists will represent Oakland Community College, Henry Ford Community College, The Art Institute, Dorsey Schools and the University of Michigan.

The winner of the collegiate ice carving contest will be announced the evening of Jan. 23.

The Rochester Fire & Ice Festival includes fan favorites like fireworks on Friday and Saturday nights, sponsored by Hour Detroit and Soave Real Estate Group; the Big, Bright Light Show; the Taste Fest & Beer Tent; and dozens of ice sculptures lining Main Street. This year’s sculpture theme for the Main Street creations is literary characters.

“Tens of thousands of families attend the Rochester Fire & Ice Festival every year,” J. David VanderVeen, chairman of the Rochester Fire & Ice Committee and director of central services for Oakland County, said in a statement. “There truly is something for everyone thanks to the hard work of our partners and hundreds of volunteers.”

Families may once again go home with a new furry best friend. Oakland County Animal Control and Pet Adoption Center will have a tent at the Fire & Ice Festival to adopt dogs and to renew or purchase dog licenses.

The Brooksie Way Chill at the Mills 5k Race returns on Sunday, Jan. 24. Runners may register at www.TheBrooksieWay.com or in person the morning of the race. The path, which begins and ends on Third Street in front of Rochester Fire Station follows the Paint Creek.

In addition, the Rochester Fire Department will host spaghetti dinners Friday and Saturday night and a pancake breakfast Sunday morning to support Rochester Area Youth Assistance.

The Rochester Fire & Ice Festival welcomes back musical guest Jennifer Kincer & Friends, who will perform live on stage Friday and Saturday night.

“The Rochester Fire & Ice Festival is one of the highlights of winter for downtown Rochester,” Rochester Mayor Cathy Daldin said. “We welcome individuals not just from all over Michigan but out of state too. It’s a chance for Rochester to show why we’re an outstanding community.”

If You Go

Where: East Water and Third streets downtown | When: 5-9 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22; 10 a.m.-9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 23; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 24 | Parking: Downtown Rochester or at Buffalo Wild Wings, 1234 Walton; shuttle runs from the restaurant to the festival | Schedule: See the flyer below, or click here. | Sponsors: Presenting sponsor, Oakland County Credit Union; major sponsors, Frank Rewold Construction/Royal Park Hotel, Hour Detroit, Rochester Mills Beer Co., Shelton Buick GMC, and Soave Enterprises; supporting sponsors Buffalo Wild Wings, Eugenia’s 3rd Street Hair Gallery, Green Electrical Supply and Tyler Dumas Reyes Orthodontics.

2016 Fire Ice Event Schedule