Ice sculptor Dean DeMarias works on a block of ice at Freezefest 2025 Thursday.
(Devan Ridgway / WTIU)
It’s freezing outside, which makes it a perfect time for Freezefest 2025.
The annual event featuring ice sculptures, treats and a chili cook-off contest is taking shape in the parking lot next to The Mill in downtown Bloomington.
Thursday morning, sculptors unloaded large blocks of ice and began carving the ice into shapes including IU football coach Curt Cignetti, the trident logo, rock stars, animals, a throne and more.
Cignetti was on hand Thursday to see his likeness.
IU football coach Curt Cignetti checks out an ice sculpture of himself at Freezefest 2025 Thursday. (Devan Ridgway / WTIU)
“I think we have close to 200 blocks of ice altogether,” sculptor Dean DeMarais said. “They'll be anywhere from 3½ blocks per sculpture. The IU logo is just a single block.”
DeMarais, from Dallas, is part of a crew of eight that travels to various cities carving ice sculptures for events such as the Freezefest.
“One guy will cut the ends, another guy will cut the middle, somebody else will split them in half,” DeMarias said. “So, we've got a whole staging system that we use to build pieces up, so everybody will have a hand in putting it up.
“The final portion of it, when it comes to sculpting, there could be anywhere between three and five hours. Some pieces are a little bit quicker.”
Thursday’s high was 31 degrees, with Friday’s high expected to be 24. Below-freezing temperatures are ideal for the ice sculptors.
“We've had some rough years here with rough weather, but we were incredibly blessed this year to have great weather for it,” DeMarias said.
An ice sculptor works on a block of ice at Freezefest 2025 Thursday. (Devan Ridgway / WTIU)
DeMarias said being a part of the event year-after-year has allowed him to watch the kids his work is made to thrill grow up.
“Got a little girl we took a photograph together when she was in first grade, and she just graduated high school last year,” he said. “So, really neat to see people change and people that you knew and see them grow.”
DeMarias said he has been carving ice sculptures for 35 years, but it wasn’t something he set out to do.
“I was studying to be a chef,” he said. “We did it one day in class, and it was a matter of, do you want to play with knives or do you want to play with chainsaws? And at that point, I never set foot in the kitchen.”
