Canandaigua Fire & Ice Winter Festival: What to expect this year
- paintsandrecs
- Feb 20
- 3 min read
CANANDAIGUA, NY — Sure, snow has been on the ground for a month straight now (although it seems like longer), but organizers of the ninth annual Downtown Canandaigua Fire & Ice Winter Festival are encouraging folks to come out of hibernation.
And they have ways to make it worth your while Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 22 and Feb. 23, from fire-eating shows to ice-carving demonstrations to fire-building demonstrations, at various spots along the Comfort in a Cup beverage trail during the always popular Chef’s Challenge, featuring tastings from local restaurants.
The event has been ranked by Forbes as one of the top 10 winter events in the world, said Denise Chaapel, manager of the Canandaigua Business Improvement District.
“This event is one of their favorites to watch people stroll the streets and just enjoy great outdoor family fun while zipping in and out of businesses experiencing all the incredible shops, galleries and restaurants in Canandaigua,” Chaapel stated. “Seeing people have so much fun and saying they had no idea about all we have to offer, makes all the work that goes into this festival so worthwhile.”
Here's what's happening.
Fiery fun in Canandaigua
The Fire Guy will have shows at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday. Lore LaFae fire shows will be at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. Sunday.
The Finger Lakes Community College logging team will participate in a fire-building competition from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Saturday.
The Canandaigua Fire Department will be spreading the word about what it's like to be a firefighter as well as sharing fire safety messages both Saturday and Sunday.
Candlemaking and glass flaming demonstrations will be held both days.
Ice is nice in Canandaigua
If you haven't seen a professional ice-carving competition, make a point to see this, which will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. You'll be amazed at what these carvers can do with a block of ice and a chainsaw.
A speed-carving competition will be at 4 p.m.
After darkness falls and a Canandaigua Saturday night begins, you can see the lit-up scultures throughout downtown. They will remain on display Sunday.
On Saturday, snow sculptor Eric Jones will carve an enormous snow sculpture.
Comfort food in Canandaigua
Local chefs will compete in the Best of the Best Chef’s Challenge, with this year's theme being comfort food —Canandaigua.
Previous years have featured chefs’ takes on chili, macaroni and cheese and a few surprises.
This event, duing which visitors travel to participating restaurants to sample what they have to offer, is from 11 a.m .to 3 p.m. Saturday. To help wash these delicious tastings down, the Comfort in a Cup Beverage Trail also kicks off at 11 a.m. both Saturday and Sunday.
You’ll need tickets. Purchase them at DowntownCanandaigua.com.
Animals everywhere in downtown Canandaigua
Sure, you'll see Canandaigua's best party animals. But visitors to the event will also see some real animals.
The Wildlife Rockstars animal encounter will be from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday.
The reindeer from Hanggi Farm in Naples will be there both Saturday and Sunday, and tha Lazy Acres alpacas will be there Saturday.
Meet the members of the Adirondack Kennel Dog Sled Team on Saturday, and at noon Saturday and Sunday, watch a demonstration by the Ontario Couny Sheriff's Office's K-9 unit.
Elly's Acre Farms will bring lambs for bottle feeding and cuddling, on both days.
And from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, get off your feet and enjoy a horse-drawn wagon ride.
Art, music and more in Canandaigua
The opening of Gallery 32 at 32 S. Main St. will be at noon Saturday and visitors will be able to meet some of the area's artists and create artist trading cards from noon to 5 p.m. The young artists from Canandaigua Paint & Rec program will be face painting on Saturday.
Live music is planned from 6 to 9 p.m. at Peacemaker Brewing Co. and from 6 to 8 p.m. at Lincoln on Main. And if you have room left after the Chef's Challenge, enjoy dinner out.
On Sunday, Peacemaker will again host live music from 2 to 5 p.m. and Acquilano Wine
Cellars will host jazz music from 6 to 8 p.m.
And lest not forget, Juggling Jeff the stilt walker will be roaming around from noon to 3 p.m. Saturday.
Of course, businesses will be open throughout the weekend.
For a complete schedule of events, visit https://www.facebook.com/CanandaiguaBID/.
Mike Murphy covers Canandaigua and other communities in Ontario County and writes the Eat, Drink and Be Murphy food and drink column. Follow him on X at @MPN_MikeMurphy.
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