Despite temperatures that hovered around freezing, foggy breath and bouts of snowfall, crowds turned out in Downtown Willoughby on Jan. 11 for the city’s inaugural Chilloughby winter festival. Live performances, music and community tents lined a portion of River Street, while artistic activities and ice sculptures stretched across Wes Point Park. The evening culminated in a fireworks show. Related Articles Willowick City Council to decide on sale of recreational marijuana in city Wally Siegel reappointed as North Perry Village public works superintendent Riverside School Board closes year with votes to expand Buckeye, adopt facilities plan Plenty of optimism for continued growth of Mentor Public Library in 2025 Ashtabula County Juvenile Court to use Lake County detention space “In the past, the bar and restaurant association had hosted a fire and ice festival, and this year the city took it over, and when we first started thinking of what we wanted to do, it kind of — our ideas kind of originated from, how can we involve local businesses?” said city program director Cade Pastor. “We want to get the community involved. “It’s more than just us holding an event for people that live here, but also show appreciation for those same businesses that are around this area as well,” Pastor added. He said that the event included 20 ice sculptures. Frozen designs with logos of the city, local businesses and other community organizations greeted visitors from the sidewalks of Wes Point Park. An ice sculpture with Willoughby’s logo greets visitors to the city’s inaugural Chilloughby winter festival on Jan. 11. The sculpture was one of many ice sculptures with the logos of local businesses and organizations at the festival. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald) “Once we kind of landed that down, the rest of it came together,” Pastor said. “Once we realized we had businesses and the community backing us up on this event, we were able to involve different performances.” The slate of performers included a group of fire dancers, who whirled, balanced and “ate” flames early in the evening. A glow twirler and an ice-carving demonstration were both scheduled for later in the evening. The Willoughby Arts Collaborative operated a tent where children could use food coloring to make designs in ice and snow. The group provided ice balls, which were made by filling water balloons, freezing them and then peeling the balloon layer off. WAC President Pat Carroll Bonander said the group was “just bringing color into their life on a snowy day.” Children color ice and snow at Willoughby’s inaugural Chilloughby winter festival on Jan. 11. The Willoughby Arts Collaborative operated a tent where visiting children could make and color ice towers using ice from frozen water balloons. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald) Visitors who needed to warm up could go drink hot cocoa with the city’s police officers or collect s’more ingredients from its firefighters. Pastor added that Willoughby Kiwanis also offered food from its tent. “Once again, it’s community engagement,” he said. “It’s not just Parks and Recreation that gets involved. It’s all hands on deck throughout the city. The service department has been working tirelessly to make this all happen. The fire department’s put their end in, the police department has put their end in. “And just like I said, that community support is really what makes these events drive,” Pastor added. Fire dancers perform at Willoughby’s inaugural Chilloughby winter festival on Jan. 11. (Bryson Durst — The News-Herald) He said that organizers were “excited to get out and try something new” by hosting the new event. “We hold events year-round, so this is just the beginning of 2025, a lot of good events to come from here,” Pastor said. “We’re looking forward to it.”