Ice, ice, baby

The annual Knickerbocker Ice Festival at Rockland Lake State Park in Congers on Saturday, Jan. 29 and Sunday, Jan. 30 is expected to attract visitors from across the tristate area.

Now in its fifth year, its debut drew more than 500 people to the event, which was the kickoff celebration for the quadricentennial and featured ice sculptures of Henry Hudson”™s Half Moon and Robert Fulton”™s steamboat.

It didn”™t take long for the event to catch on quickly, especially as more sculptors joined veteran sculptor Rob Patalano and started a friendly competition.

For Patalano, who was one of the main founders of the event and its most ardent supporter, it”™s an opportunity to show people the marvels of ice sculpting, something he”™s done since a teenager. Many of the area restaurants and caterers depend on his intricate skills to design the perfect piece of art ”“ temporary though it may be.

Last year, the event drew more than 22,000 people, visiting and judging sculptors, enjoying the 15-foot-high high bonfire and art shows, demonstrations and crafts. This year, the ice festival will include an emphasis on green technology, including LED lighting, biodiesel-powered generators and biodegradable utensils to minimize the impact on the environment.

Rockland Lake Park was once the site of a bustling ice-making factory community, with the lake supplying ice for homes and businesses up and down the Hudson from the mid-18th century to the early 20th century. Some fragments of the old buildings remain and tours of one remaining factory will be held during the festivities.

The ice festival is open from 11 a.m. through dark Jan. 29 and from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Jan. 30. Admission is free; parking is $6. For more information, visit knickerbockericefestival.com.