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Dartmouth festival highlights the art of ice carving

Richard Chaisson is finishing the final touches on an ice carving for the 2023 Downtown Dartmouth Ice Festival. Richard Chaisson is finishing the final touches on an ice carving for the 2023 Downtown Dartmouth Ice Festival.
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It might have been a mild start to winter in the Maritimes, but an ice festival in Dartmouth this weekend is moving ahead in full force.

With music, ice carving and family-friendly activities, the Downtown Dartmouth Ice Festival has something for everyone.

Not only is the festival a celebration of winter, Tim Rissesco of the Downtown Dartmouth Business Commission says it’s a big weekend for the community.

“We have eight carvers carving over 40 ice carvings on Portland Street,” said Rissesco.

And that’s not all -- Saturday afternoon will see a street party take over Portland.

By Saturday night, 15 venues around Downtown Dartmouth will host a variety of entertainers, from Reeny Smith to Deedee Austin.

The evening is slated to be capped off with a youth showcase hosted by CTV Atlantic’s own Katie Kelly.

For ice carver Richard Chaisson, the ice festival is an opportunity to highlight his intricate work.

“Ice is very soft and very hard at the same time,” said Chaisson. “At the right temperature, you can carve that like butter.”

According to Chaisson, the Dartmouth event is one of the largest ice festivals in all of Atlantic Canada.

“You’ve got carvers from all over,” he said. “They come down. All of them choose different topics and they carve away.”

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