Dowagiac Ice Time Festival - Unexpected Sculptural Forms
Dowagiac’s Ice Time Festival, to be held Saturday, February 7, 2026, is shaping up to be a sculptural event featuring three-dimensional art formed from ice, Legos, timber, cast iron and even a human! The winter festival, a Greater Dowagiac Chamber of Commerce event, will take place in the central business district, with some auxiliary activities hosted by businesses in close proximity to downtown.
A team returns to carve blocks of ice, each weighing 300 pounds, into individual sculptures placed on the sidewalks of the central business district. Carving will start at 7 a.m. and continue until each of the sponsored ice blocks is finished.
The Western Michigan LEGO® Users Group (WMLUG) will present a LEGO® City Display from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., built by their group. The display will feature moving trains and will be located inside at 143 S. Front Street. WMLUG is a community of adult builders and collectors dedicated to sharing the art of the brick with the public. WMLUG aims to inspire builders of all ages through the creativity and detail of collaborative displays.
More three dimensional art will be created by The Chainsaw Craftsman, Aaron Stinson, returning to Ice Time Festival with his wood creations and demonstrating his timber carving from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Beeson Street.
A human sculpture, Live Statue Robert Shangle, will be on site from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Shangle, lifetime resident of West Michigan, has performed around the world representing the USA as a living statue for many years. He was selected to represent the USA in the Living Statue World Championship, an international event that takes place in the Netherlands, in 2009, 2015, 2017 and 2019.
Additionally, the Dowagiac Area History Museum will unveil the recently acquired Round Oak 'Gold Stove' at 1 p.m. Round Oak cast the silver and gold plated stove for display at the Chicago World's Fair in 1893, but the stove has not been seen in Dowagiac since 1948. The event will feature remarks from Frank Mutz, the donor who is traveling from Atlanta, and light refreshments after the unveiling.
Many other activities will take place at local businesses. For a full schedule of events visit DowagiacChamber.com/events or Facebook
Corporate underwriters of the Ice Time Festival include Acrisure, Dowagiac Credit Union, Dowsett Chiropractic Health Center, Lyons Industries, Starks Family Funeral Homes/Clark Chapel, Who Knew Consignment and Xfinity.
