Port Jefferson Ice Festival draws crowds with games, carving, skating

Frozen superheroes and villains descended on Port Jefferson Village Saturday.

The seventh annual Port Jefferson Ice Fest returned this weekend with its superhero theme after an earlier postponement due to, of all things, excessive cold. The wait for the family friendly event was worth it, as people filled the North Shore village on a much more comfortable 39-degree afternoon.

The event, hosted by the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District, featured 30 ice sculptures scattered throughout the village, ice-carving demonstrations, games, tractor rides, ice skating and more.

Shortly after noon, a crowd gathered around the 900-pound block of ice uncovered near the Port Jefferson Frigate ice cream shop. Ice sculptor Rich Daly, of Ice Memories in Mastic Beach, said he hadn't planned what to carve. But about five minutes before firing up the chainsaw, he settled on Mario, the beloved video game character.

"There's a lot of little kids, so we were kind of playing off the crowd," he said. "Everyone obviously knows Mario. He's iconic."

He said the superhero theme presented a challenge this year since each character is "unique."

For some superheroes, he simplified it a bit. For Captain America, he carved the shield. For Superman, he carved the emblem.

Daly carved in advance the sculptures set up throughout the village — all of which he had to store in his walk-in freezers after the postponement.

The overcast skies early in the day created ideal conditions, Daly said, as sunlight is the enemy of ice. But as the day progressed, the sun peeked out more and more. The festival continues Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. and the weather is expected to cooperate with overcast skies and temperatures in the mid-30s. A new set of 30 sculptures will be on display.

Cassie Boulukos, of Ronkonkoma, brought her two children, 7-year-old Elizabeth and 2-year-old Noel, to the festival. With school break just beginning, she said she was eager to find ways to keep the kids busy.

"The winter is always so hard to get outside," she said.

Elizabeth tried her luck at miniature bowling, rolling a small ball down an icy lane to knock down pins. Next to the bowling game, others tried ice mini golf.

Cornhole games with boards made of ice were also available throughout the village.

Several large blocks of ice formed a "Graffiti Wall," a popular attraction where anyone could carve a name or symbol.

Ronni Santella, of Sound Beach, used a Dremel engraver tool to carve a heart with the initials R + B for her partner, Bill Beagen, of Patchogue, who are both retirees.

While she's done carving before, this was her first time inscribing into ice, she said.

"The tool is comfortable," she said. "I've used the tool many times."

Some people like Molly Lutz, 28, and Manny Rodriguez, 31, happened to be in the village and discovered the festival. Lutz said they came from Patchogue for coffee at Southdown Coffee and noticed the sculptures.

"We thought, 'what a great activity while we sip our coffee,' " she said.

The couple tried their luck in a game of tic-tac-toe carved out of ice. It ended in a draw.

By Joe Werkmeister

joe.werkmeister@newsday.com

Joe Werkmeister joined Newsday in 2022 and covers Suffolk County government and politics. He is a graduate of St. Bonaventure University and previously worked as the editor of two North Fork community newspapers.

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