A crowd of Freezefest attendees circle around ice sculptor Dean DeMarais as he shaves a block of ice into a sculpture Jan. 25, 2025, in Bloomington. DeMarais has lived in Dallas, Texas, and has travelled to compete in ice carving events across the country.
Dean DeMarais angles a chisel downward to make an incision in an ice block at Freezefest on Jan. 25, 2025, in Bloomington. DeMarais was stationed directly outside of The Mill, creating lots of foot traffic, as he was in the main path of the festival.
A girl smiles into a mirror after having her face painted at Freezefest on Jan. 25, 2025, in Bloomington. During the third day of the festival, multiple family-centric events were held indoors in The Mill like face-painting and cookie decorating.
Freezefest attendees decorate cookies Jan. 25, 2025, in the Event Hall at The Mill in Bloomington. The Event Hall offered opportunities to warm up, especially for those with younger children.
A family poses for a photo at an ice sculpture photo booth while attending Freezefest on Jan. 25, 2025, in Bloomington. Many of the sculptures were around a child’s height and were designed for attendee photo opportunities.
A mother pulls her daughter down an ice slide at FreezeFest on Jan. 25, 2025, in Bloomington. The annual winter festival featured ice sculptures, local vendors and family-friendly activities.
A woman holding a baby gasps as she watches a toy car slides down an ice ramp at Freezefest on Jan. 25, 2025, in Bloomington. The racing ramp included a variety of toy cars for attendees to choose from.
A girl lifts her arms after pushing a tennis ball to her game partner at Freezefest on Jan. 25, 2025, in Bloomington. Freezefest featured multiple popular games in ice form such as corn hole, pickleball and mini-golf.
Dean DeMarais leans against his block of ice while carving a sculpture at Freezefest on Jan. 25, 2025, in Bloomington. DeMarais had not had an idea in mind prior to the demonstration and spent several minutes sketching with food coloring and finalizing his vision before finally carving.
