Fire & Ice Festival: How Ice Sculptures Warmed Up a Beach Town’s Local Economy
- Malissa Romero
- Aug 11
- 4 min read
Each January, the beach towns of Southern Delaware trade in their flip‑flops for fire pits and ice sculptures. For the past three years, we’ve been proud to be the ice vendor behind the scenes, designing and carving the sculptures that transform this event into something unforgettable.
The Southern Delaware Fire & Ice Festival, a three‑day weekend event held annually on the last weekend of January, organized by the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce (The Quiet Resorts), has grown into one of the most dynamic and economically impactful winter events in the region!
Where it all started
Before launching The Ice God, founder Jacob Saporito spent almost a decade working on large-scale ice festivals, managing complex builds and overseeing events across the region. That experience gave him a deep understanding of the creativity, logistics, and teamwork required to pull off an event of that scale. When The Ice God was established, the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce approached Jake about bringing his expertise to the Fire & Ice Festival.
“We had just launched the company, and the scope of the event was massive,” Jake recalls. “It was going to push us to our limits.”
That first year tested every part of our operation. We worked long hours, solved challenges in real time, and delivered a festival experience we’re still proud of. The lessons we learned that year have shaped our standard of excellence ever since.
2023 - Year One: Lights, Camera, Action!
Our first year marked our debut, and we dove in headfirst. One of the most talked-about sculptures that weekend was a Jaws-inspired photo op ice sculpture, sponsored by the Town of Bethany Beach, a towering, dramatic piece built from 10 blocks that drew steady crowds to the boardwalk all night. In total, we placed over 200 blocks of ice across multiple locations! Throughout the weekend, Lito Baban and Eric Baisas brought the energy with live carvings each day, turning the streets into a stage and drawing audiences into the process.
2024 - Year Two: Into the Wild
Year two brought some of our most ambitious work yet. We leaned fully into 3D sculptures, aiming for more depth, detail, and dynamic live carving moments. A warm spell on day one added an unexpected challenge, softening pieces faster than we could place them but overall, the weekend was a creative high point that helped raise the bar for what we could do! Some of the weekend’s biggest standouts included a roaring lion for Taylor Bank, and a towering T. Rex for Millville Boardwalk.
2025 - Year Three: A Weekend for the Books
Year three was all about scale and color. We shifted focus to larger ice sculptures and experimented with bold 2D designs filled with vibrant colored sand, allowing sponsors to get even more personality in their pieces. The crowds responded and so did the businesses. One bar reported their covers jumping from 40 the previous weekend to 240 during the Fire & Ice Festival. Other businesses shared similar stories, with some seeing up to a 100% increase in sales compared to the weekend before. That kind of turnout and revenue boost proves just how powerful this festival has become, not just as a winter attraction, but as a true economic driver for the community.
2026 - Year Four: The First State
Next year, we return for our fourth appearance, bringing Delaware’s history to life in crystal-clear ice. The theme, “The First State,” honors local icons and traditions, giving us the chance to celebrate the area that’s supported this festival from day one.
What This Festival Means to Us
What began as a local winter experiment has grown into a cornerstone event, drawing thousands of visitors during the quietest time of year and creating a powerful economic wave across the community. For the local businesses that participate and sponsor ice sculptures, it’s more than just exposure, it’s real, measurable impact. Restaurants see packed tables. Shops get new foot traffic. Bars and hotels report their best January weekends of the year.
For other towns considering how to energize their off-season, this festival is proof:
People will show up for art and experience!
Local businesses can see meaningful returns when they’re part of something intentional.
With the right partners, an ice festival doesn’t just fill a weekend, it transforms a place.
"Collaborating with The Ice God team at the Fire and Ice Festival was an absolute joy! Their unrivaled mastery of ice sculpting added a captivating dimension to every facet of the event. The infusion of creativity, unwavering dedication, and genuine passion they brought to our festival not only elevated it to new heights of magic but also played a pivotal role in driving a massive turnout." Lauren Weaver, Executive Director of the Bethany-Fenwick Area Chamber of Commerce
We’re proud to have grown with this event over the past three years and proud to support the businesses that help make it unforgettable!
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