Chamber to host Heart of Hampshire Ice Sculpture and Cocoa Crawl

Looking for a fun way to beat the winter blahs?

Visit downtown Hampshire Feb. 18 for the second annual Heart of Hampshire Ice Sculpture and Cocoa Crawl.

The Heart of Hampshire event highlights the small businesses that support the community, and the people who make Hampshire a great place to live, work and visit.

Organized by the Hampshire Area Chamber of Commerce, the event runs from noon to 4 p.m. It will kick off at Guardian Angel Basset Rescue, 138 Washington Ave., where registered participants will pick up their commemorative cocoa mugs and goody bags. Advance pickup available at Snap Fitness Feb. 15 and 16.

From there, visitors will follow the map and pop into each restaurant and shop along the cocoa trail to fill their mugs. While they walk, they can enjoy superhero-themed ice sculptures.

Members of the Century 21 New Heritage team will be manning the s’mores station at the corner of State and Washington, where participants can roast their marshmallows, enjoy music and the winter-festival atmosphere.

Kids can visit the Ella Johnson Library for a round of Freeze Dance. Along the path, children also can stop in at the Hampshire Township Park District building to pick up a coloring page for the coloring contest. Everyone’s favorite “Frozen” friend, Olaf, will be making an appearance during the event.

From 1 to 2:30 p.m., a live ice sculpture demonstration, sponsored by the Plageman Agency of American Family Insurance, will take place at the intersection of State Street and Washington Avenue. An artist from World Class Ice Sculptures will carve a block of ice into the Marvel superhero Thor as visitors watch.

Downtown restaurants and businesses will be open, serving cocoa and offering specials.

“This event is a great example of our business community coming together to bring a fun festival to the community,” said Hampshire Chamber of Commerce President Robbi Burklow. “It is sure to be a crowd-pleaser in our recently improved downtown festival space in Hampshire.”

For more information, or register for the cocoa crawl, visit HampshireChamber.org or check out the event on the Hampshire Area Chamber of Commerce Facebook page.

Everyone is welcome to view the sculptures, but only registered participants will receive a mug, s’mores and free unlimited cocoa.