The Region’s Coolest Tradition
Held each year on the first Saturday in February
February 3, 2018, 10 am – 4 pm
Ice harvests were once an essential part of winter in rural communities. Before there was refrigeration, ice was needed to preserve agricultural products and to keep food cold in the warmer months.
Each year on the first Saturday of February, Hanford Mills Museum celebrates this rural tradition with the Ice Harvest Festival. Using historic tools and techniques, visitors can cut and maneuver blocks of ice from the Mill Pond, and then transport the blocks to the ice house by sled. Food, demonstrations, bonfires, and vendors round out a day of hands-on history and winter fun.
The 2017 Ice Harvest Festival offered a variety of indoor and outdoor activities:
- ice sculpting by the SUNY Delhi Hospitality Center Ice Team–blocks of ice were transformed into beautiful works of art.
- ice fishing, the Dave Brandt Chapter of Trout Unlimited offered kids the chance to ice fish
- blacksmith demonstrations
- horse-drawn sleigh rides
- a hot soup buffet featuring soup from local restaurants
- bonfires
- cooking demonstrations
- local farmers and vendors including Byebrook Farm (Gouda cheese), Promisedland Farm (handknit Swedish-style mittens and hats), the Cooperstown Distillery, and Cabana Coffee
- films of ice harvests in the 1920s-1940s
- snowman village
- Children (12 and under) receive free admission. Museum members also receive free admission. (More information on admission and discounts.)
The Museum monitors and grooms the ice in the weeks leading up to the Ice Harvest Festival. Find out the latest ice conditions as well as tips for your visit.
Hot Soup Buffet
The Hot Soup Buffet is a favorite way for visitors to warm up during Ice Harvest and in 2017 featured soup and chili made by favorite area restaurants, including: Alex’s Bistro, Alfresco’s Italian Bistro, Ate.o.Ate Catering, Applebee’s, Brooks’ House of BBQ, Cafe Ommegang, the Cooperstown Diner, Cross Roads Cafe, Danny’s Main Street Market, the Delhi Diner, Denny’s, Doubleday Cafe, Fiesta Mexican Grill, Jackie’s Restaurant, Jay’s Place, Mel’s at 22, Morey’s Family Restaurant, Oneonta Bagel Company, The Otesaga, Simply Thai, Sloan’s N.Y. Grill, Signatures Restaurant, and the SUNY Delhi Hospitality Program. In addition, the College Association at Delhi, Inc. (CADI) baked up delicious rolls.
Proceeds from the soup buffet and cookie sale (baked goods provided by Junkyard Bakehaus) benefit the Museum’s educational programs.
Sponsors
The Ice Harvest Festival was sponsored by the SUNY Delhi Hospitality Management Department, WSKG, The Daily Star and Five Star Subaru,.
Did you know? The ice we harvest will be used to make ice cream at the Hanford Mills Museum Independence Day Celebration.
Ice Harvest in the News
- The Albany Times Union PilotGirl blog featured the article “Cold Weather Cures for Cabin Fever”
- The Wall Street Journal featured the Ice Harvest Festival in the article Snow Balls: Five Winter Festivals Worth the Trip.
- Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin article “Take Your Kids on a ‘Frozen’ Adventure: Museum’s annual ice harvest is a cool family attraction“ “Kids and parents can recreate the magic of the opening scene from ‘Frozen’ by joining in on an authentic ice harvest on frozen mill pond — sing-alongs welcome…”
- Beekman 1802 Almanac “The Ice Harvest” article in the Fall/Winter 2015 issue of this new magazine highlighted the Beekman Boys’ visit to the Ice Harvest Festival, wi
th 18 photos. Though the magazine is not available online, The Beekman Boys (Josh Kilmer-Purcell and Brent Ridge) also wrote about their trip to Hanford Mills Museum on their blog: - The Daily Star (Oneonta) article “Delhi Students to show off hand-hewn ice sculptures” talks about the ice carving demonstrations at the Ice Harvest Festival.
- Listen to Executive Director Liz Callahan’s interview on WAMC’s The Roundtable.
- The Ice Harvest was featured in SUNY Oneonta’s Community Spotlight.
- Read about past Ice Harvests at Hanford Mills Museum, which have had more than 1,200 people attend, at All Over Albany, The Mountain Eagle, and The Daily Star.
- See photos from past Ice Harvests
“It’s such a slice of Americana. It’s why we love living up here. It’s a beautiful community event.”
-Teri Borst
