Ice fest returns to Port Jefferson village

Ice fest returns to Port Jefferson village

Photo by Julianne Mosher

Last weekend’s festival was really n(ice).

After a snowstorm caused the original date of the 3rd annual Port Jefferson Ice Festival to be moved, hundreds visited the village to risk the cold and enjoy the season.

Originally scheduled for Jan. 29 and 30, the festival was moved to Feb. 5 and 6 after nearly 2-feet of snow rocked the North Shore.

But despite the lack of snow this week, the event was still a winter wonderland with freezing temperatures.

Sponsored by the Port Jefferson Business Improvement District, the festival had everything: ice carvings done by Richard Daly, New York’s only certified master ice carver; characters from “Frozen”; horse-drawn carriage rides; and a mac ‘n’ cheese crawl. 

Cheesy pasta connoisseurs were able to buy tickets beforehand for the crawl, which consisted of nearly a dozen village restaurants that sampled off all different types of macaroni and cheese dishes. Shops like Barito, PJ Lobster House, Prohibition and P.J. Harbor Club showcased their own variations of comfort food — from spicy queso sauces to Gouda-baked goodness.