Mt. Clemens Ice Festival braves the warm temperatures
MT. CLEMENS, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - Despite the beautiful spring like weather we saw in Metro Detroit on Sunday, festival goers still took to downtown Mt. Clemens for the 2023 Ice Festival.
"The sun is the worst enemy for ice," says ice carver Ray Lucier with a smirk. You could find him in a shady corner of downtown Mt. Clemens on the unseasonably sunny Sunday for February.
Lucier says he's been carving for 23 years and was there 17 years ago when this festival began.
"For me, it's messing with the people," Lucier says. He added his enjoyment on working with bigger sculptures, although his favorites are the pieces where the crowd gets to watch and he gets to interact with them. Lucier says working with the other sculptors to help display the pieces around the city are a true sign of teamwork and showmanship.
"Starting from the ground, building it up, and next thing you know it comes to life," says Lucier.
The festival also featured activities for kids in places like the Discovery Center of Macomb where games and other STEAM activities took place.
"People are coming out, they're shopping, they're doing stuff, there are people from Mt. Clemens there are people from other parts of the cities coming here just to do something," says Lucier.