The day of the festival was still chilly and windy enough to warrant the huge bonfire fueled by wooden pallets and the many warm drinks of hot cocoa and coffee.

Around the large bonfire were many different activities people could participate in such as sledding on a snow hill, roasting marshmallows for smores, purchasing goods from the Alpena Farmers Market in the warming shelter, and going on a horse-drawn wagon ride.

Dan Kirschner, owner of the two horses that drove the wagon, said that he’s given horse-drawn rides for about 25 to 30 years and this is his third year participating in the ice fest.

“It’s just fun to work with the horses and I get comments out of people who enjoy the ride and enjoy the nostalgia of the old days,” Kirschner said. “Lot of memories for older people and the kids all seem to really like it.”

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez An artist from Ice Creations creates an ice throne at Culligan Plaza during the Alpena Ice Fest on Saturday.

And despite the lack of natural snow and ice surrounding the event, ice display company Ice Creations brought in large blocks of ice to create sculptures and to bowl on a frozen lane.

Ben Goebel, ice sculptor of Top Shelf Ice and Ice Creations, said that he and his coworkers originally planned to bring out the ice on Friday, but due to how warm and sunny it was, they altogether decided to keep the blocks in a cooler place.

“I started in a country club and the chef carved ice,” Goebel said. “It gave me an opportunity to get out of the kitchen instead of the normal routine and then I just kind of fell in love with the art form itself.”

Goebel sculpted in the park earlier in the day at Mich-e-ke-wis Park for the first half of the ice fest and moved over to Alpena’s Downtown to build a car and house in the theme of Barbie for attendees to take pictures with during the evening.

Just like Goebel, the entire festival moved over to Alpena’s Downtown by 3 p.m. with more live sculpting, plenty of warm drinks, and live music from the Alpena Street Performers.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez The Alpena Ice Festival attendees board a wagon for a horse ride around the surrounding area of Mich-e-ke-wis Park on Saturday.

Businesses across the downtown also had their own ice sculptures created and displayed next to their front doors.

The last of the night events ended with hot apple cider at Culligan Plaza and a few final sculptures made by Ice Creations, including a throne entirely made out of ice.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Ben Goebel of Top Shelf Ice uses a chain saw to cut away ice for a castle sculpture at Mich-e-ke-wis Park during the Alpena Ice Festival on Saturday.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Alpena Ice Fest attendees gather outside Mango’s Tequila Bar and the Center Building to see ice-sculpture-making demonstrations on Saturday.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Alpena Police Department and Alpena Fire Department members face each other in a broomball match during the Alpena Ice Fest in Mich-e-ke-wis Park on Saturday.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Community members sell products in the Mich-e-ke-wis Park shelter during the Alpena Ice Festival on Saturday.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez On Saturday, a pair of otter and reptilian creature ice sculptures are on display at Mich-e-ke-wis Park during the Alpena Ice Festival.

News Photo by Mike Gonzalez Attendees of the Alpena Ice Festival watch the large bonfire burn in Mich-e-ke-wis Park on Saturday.