Merchants rate IceFest a success

By Linda Ebbing
Reprinted with permission of the Journal-News

A bare cupboard was a good thing for Ray Weber on Saturday.  Weber, owner of Weber's Grill, 235 High St., said crowds from IceFest brought enough traffic to his store to "clean him out."

This was the first year for the ice-sculpting contest that brought competitors from all over the nation to downtown Hamilton.   "All we had left was a white heel (of bread)," Weber said. "We were double-stocked and we still ran out. “We expected it to be pretty busy, but not that busy."  Weber said he opened at 9:45 a.m. and had customers nonstop until 2:30 p.m.  "It was good for the downtown," he said. "I spoke to several couples who came from northern Ohio to the festival."  Weber said he is looking forward to next year's festival and he hopes "it stays local and local restaurants do the food vending."

Debbie Fescina Bridge, executive director of the Greater Hamilton Convention and Visitors Bureau, said the ice-sculpting festival was "one of the highlights of the city of Hamilton." 

Along with the all-day competition, more than 50 ice sculptures were displayed throughout the downtown area.

"At every given moment there were well over a 1,000 people," Bridge said. "I got phone calls from all over wanting information about the festival so I know we got visitors from all over the state, as well as Indiana and Kentucky."

Bridge said it was "absolutely a success - and it will be even bigger and better next year." Bridge said that one of the goals of the festival was to have a positive economic impact on the city. "And we met that goal," she said.

John Curtis, owner of Fat Wally's Cafe, 24 S. Third St., didn't open his restaurant, opting to run a booth in the midst of festival events. Curtis said he didn't realize the sculpture displays were going to reach Third Street, so he asked if he could sell soup and coffee at Courthouse Square. "We sold a tremendous amount, and we are looking forward to next year," he said. "And next year we will definitely open the store."

Angelo Masannat, owner of City Diner on High Street, said his business also was steady Saturday. "We did great. We need more festivals like this," he said. "At least one a month."

The success of the festival was especially gratifying to Douglas Ewald. Ewald, owner of Don-A-Lee Hallmark Shop on High Street, is vice president and director of the Hamilton Central Business Special Improvement District Inc. (SID), a co-sponsor of the event.  "We did good business on Saturday -- it was a very good day," he said. "That's why we do these downtown events."

Ewald said that Friday, traffic was "stopping to see what was going on." "On Saturday, traffic was slow and people were getting out and looking -- it was great," he said. "I said to myself, 'Yes, this is working.'”  Ewald said the job of the SID is to maintain and market the downtown area.  "This is part of our job," he said. "A whole lot of people spent a whole lot of time to make the event happen. To see it working is great, it's very gratifying.

"I can't wait until next year."