Ice sculpting, s’mores, a mariachi band, baked potato bar and stargazing are just a few of the many activities that will be part of Southold Town’s first ever winter festival.
The inaugural event, dubbed “Tis the season to be Freezin,” will be held in downtown Southold on Saturday, Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.
An entire day’s worth of events and activities is planned to take place along Route 25 between Wells Avenue and Silversmith’s Corner.
The town’s Economic Development Committee spearheaded plans for the festival.
“I’m really looking forward to showcasing the North Fork in the winter and excited that many of our businesses and attractions have embraced the festival,” said Jack Malley, the committee chair. “We’d like people to recognize that this is a year-round destination.”
The event will be organized into two main hubs. The first, in the parking lot across from the Southold Library, will feature a DJ, three live ice sculptures, face painting by Sarah Hope and a booth from the Custer Institute for solar gazing. The institute will also open at 5 p.m. that evening for stargazing.
Down the street, at Silversmith’s corner, there will be corn hole courts courtesy of Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, a seafood station by Southold Fish Market and Girl Scout cookies for sale from Troop 2981.
The Southold Historical Museum will also be open for tours, the Giving Room is hosting an art exhibit and free smoothie tastings and the First Presbyterian Church of Southold will have a baked potato bar, popcorn, hot chocolate and fire pits for s’mores.
CAST— the Center for Advocacy, Support and Transformation — will also open the doors to its new location in the former Southold Opera House for a packed schedule of events, including story time and an ice castle activity for kids hosted by the Southold Library at 10 a.m., cupcake decorating at 12:30 p.m., music by Grammy-nominated artist Brady Rymer at 1:30 p.m. and a mariachi performance, mulled wine and cider by Mariachi Sol Mixteco at 3 p.m.
Attendees are also encouraged to explore the many shops along Main Street throughout the day.
“It’s really exciting there’s a lot of good stuff going on,” said committee member Jennifer Del Vaglio. “It grew from helping businesses into a fun, interactive event for families and kids. It’s a win-win for everyone.”
Additional sponsors for the event include East End Pool King, the Soloviev family, Satnick Jewelers, Greenport Harbor Brewing Company, North Fork Luxury Transporters and New Vine Wine Tours.
“Our vision was to fill a quiet void,” Ms. Del Vaglio said. “February seems to be really quiet. If we can start to drum up some interest in the off season, it’ll help all of these local businesses.”
The festival is scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 19 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. In case of inclement weather, the rain date is Sunday, Feb. 20.
