23 Ice Sculptures That Celebrate Winter
Everyone asks us why we moved to Chicagoland, especially right before winter? Don't we miss sunny California, with its endless 75 degree days? Why move to the land of snow and ice?
I tell them, yes, we miss aspects of California life, but something we love about the chilly North is how its residents embrace winter. Here in Chicagoland, the cold season is not something to hunker down and endure, but a third of the year to celebrate with dazzling outdoor light shows and ice sculpture festivals, snowy Christmas markets and cozy museum excursions.
People here don't enter their houses in late November and reemerge in April, hibernating in-between. They pull on their parkas (and boots, hat, scarf, gloves, long johns) and step into the sub-zero air to walk their dog, pretending it's easy to navigate down their driveway without slipping.
Embracing winter starts with the right attitude. That's why in early February, we took a bundled-up stroll on the sidewalks of downtown Downers Grove to admire these ice sculptures that honor local businesses.
Can you tell what each of them depict? This one above is a surfer dude, riding a sick wave.
Flamingo and palm tree.
Bicycle.
Snowflake.
Wolf howling at the moon.
Whiskey bottle.
Sun, moon and stars.
Seahorse.
Popcorn machine! So clever.
Piggy bank. Little oinker.
Rocketship.
Pikachu!
Harp and dove.
Olympic rings.
Fox.
French press coffee maker.
Carousel horse.
Kissing booth.
Salmon (or maybe bass?) It's a fish.
American flag and matching bald eagle below.
How are you celebrating winter this year? I want to know!
Stay tuned for more Chicagoland adventures coming to the blog very soon:
- Afternoon Tea at Palm Court at The Drake Hotel
- Monday Night Film Society at the Historic Tivoli Theater
- Christmas Trees From Around the World at the Museum of Science and Industry
- Illumination Light Show at The Morton Arboretum