February 7, 2026

2026 Ice Art Festival (Northampton, MA)

By New England Nomad

Date Of Event: Saturday, Jan. 31 and Feb. 1, 2026

Location: Northampton, MA (2 hours northwest of Boston, MA and 45 minutes north of Hartford, CT)

Cost: Free

Summary: Sculptors came to Northampton MA to show off their carving and sculpting skills. There were 16 sculptures with a variety of different themes.

The one good thing about winter in New England is ice! And there were many displays of ice in creative designs at the 15th annual Ice Art Festival in Northampton, MA.

The sculptors were given  300-pound blocks of ice to work with. The sculptures ranged from a wolf to a free form design. Since the event was nearby, I went to the event on both Saturday and Sunday. So I was able to take photos of the sculptures being made and the finished sculptures on Sunday. There were 17 sculptures listed. But, I could only find 16 of them.

It was interesting watching the sculptors sculpt the ice sculptures with some primitive instruments such as hammers and chisels. Or watching them use more advanced tools like chainsaws.

There wasn’t any risk of the sculptures melting as the temperatures were frigid. In fact, instead of walking to all of the sculptures on Sunday, I drove to the sculptures because of the frigid temperatures and wind. The sculptures were located in roughly a mile and a half radius. And they looked incredible. The sculptures were illuminated at night. Unfortunately, I was not able to see them lit up at night this year. But, you can see a light at the base of some of the sculptures in some of the photos.

The first sculpture I saw was “Dashing Through The Snow” by Katrina Dressler

Michael Rondeau sculpted Bon Appetite.

Soaring High With The Lucky Cat: 2026 by Marin Murakoshi was one of the more interesting sculptures. I think you can see the cat near the wings of the sculpture.

Eagle: Standing Tall by David Barclay had some very intricate details.

Siesta by Wayne Miller and Meg Kupiec was one of my favorites.

Time For A Nap by Marie Agresta featured a cat doing what else but taking a nap!

Winter Whimsy by Nathan Peterson had a more abstract feel to it.

Who knew there were giraffes in Northampton!? Well, at least they are in ice! David Barclay made this sculpture called Giraffe Mother And Baby. This was David’s second sculpture of the event.

Man’s Best Friend by Peter Vacchina and Maeven Broderick was one of the more popular sculptures. The Edwards in the heart is a reference to Edwards Church, the church where this sculpture was located.

How many fish do you see in the sculpture The Fish by Billy Poe?

I’ve never heard of their music. But, I hear the music of the person in this sculpture called RUMI from K-Pop Demon Hunters by John Collins is pretty cool.

Frozen Past by Chip Koser was a blast from the past.

Free Form by Andrew Campbell is another abstract sculpture.

Mighty Wings by Mark Bosworth reminded me of Game Of Thrones, a show I’ve actually never watched. But, I hear good things about it.

This owl sculpture by Brian McQuillan called Whoosie was very impressive.

I wanted to pat Lone Wolf by Michael Legassey.

All of the ice sculptures were so creative and amazing. Hopefully, next year I can photograph them while they’re lit. If you have a favorite sculpture let me know in the comments!

About New England Nomad

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Hi I'm Wayne. Welcome to my blog. I am a true New Englander through and through. I love everything about New England. I especially love discovering new places in New England and sharing my experiences with everyone. I tend to focus on the more unique and lesser known places and things in New England on my blog. Oh yeah, and I love dogs. I always try to include at least one dog in each of my blog posts. I discovered my love of photography a couple of years ago. I know, I got a late start. Now, I photograph anything that seems out of the ordinary, interesting, beautiful and/or unique. And I have noticed how every person, place or thing I photograph has a story behind it or him or her. I don't just photograph things or people or animals. I try to get their background, history or as much information as possible to give the subject more context and meaning. It's interesting how one simple photograph can evoke so much. I am currently using a Nikon D3200 "beginner's camera." Even though there are better cameras on the market, and I will upgrade some time, I love how it functions (usually) and it has served me well. The great thing about my blog is you don't have to be from New England, or even like New England to like my blog (although I've never met anyone who doesn't). All you have to like is to see and read about new or interesting places and things. Hopefully, you'll join me on my many adventures in New England! View all posts by New England Nomad
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