Master ice carvers arrive at Gaylord Texan to create winter wonderland for Grapevine
NORTH TEXAS – Signs, smiles and cheers greeted approximately 40 of the world's best ice carvers Monday as they arrived at the Gaylord Texan Resort.
"The gentlemen who joined us today are part of a long-standing tradition of ice carvers. Many of their fathers and grandfathers were also in this very unique career," said Gary Walker of Gaylord.
Each year, the carvers are welcomed with Texas-sized hospitality as they prepare to transform 2 million pounds of ice into a stunning winter wonderland. This year's theme is "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," with hand-carved scenes from the story, some up to 30 feet tall.
The artisans wasted no time and began working immediately.
"You can see, they just arrived this morning, and they're already hard at work," said Martha Neibling of the Gaylord Texan Resort. "We have 40 master ice carvers, and they work in shifts, from morning until evening, for over 30 days to get this done."
The carvers come from Harbin, China, known as the ice carving capital of the world. To learn more about their culture, some Gaylord Texan staff members even traveled to Harbin this year.
"I went with a couple of my colleagues to Northern China," said Walker. "We spent time with many of the artisans we greeted today in their hometown, really seeing what they do. In Harbin, they carve ice directly from the frozen river that runs through their town."
Neibling added, "It's hard to believe how cold it is here, but it's even colder in Harbin, so they can carve outside without needing tents."
While none of the artisans speak English, they shared through a translator that bringing a piece of their culture to Texas, on a much smaller scale, is special.
"All the ice they build there is big, like a building," the translator said. "But here, it's more detailed and smaller—just the story."
The carvers will work for the next 30 days, and their creation will be ready for the public on Nov. 15.
"To be able to bring a piece of that to Grapevine and let families experience this—it's unlike anything else you can see in the country, except in Harbin," Neibling said.
