By Beth Treffeisen
With cold temperatures settling in, First Night revelers were able to take in the multiple variety of maritime legend ice sculptures scattered throughout downtown Boston.
To continue the fun, throughout Boston’s Back Bay, local businesses hosted a variety of small ice sculptures in front of their storefronts this past December 31, as part of the Second Annual Back Bay Ice Gallery.
A little over ten businesses, mostly running along Boylston Street in the Back Bay decided to participate. Each business worked with Ice Effects, New England’s leading ice sculpture company, to design their own sculpture.
Participating business included the Boston Public Library, The Capital Grille, The Colonnade Hotel, Towne Stove & Spirits, The Langham and more.
According to Conventures, the events communications marketing group putting on First Night and Day in Boston, the Ice Gallery was meant for people to have something fun to do as they walked throughout Boston.
“Even though we had to cut back, the sculptures are still an important part,” said Thomas Kershaw, the Chairman of First Night Board of Directors and owner of the Hampshire House that hosted an ice sculpture outside of Cheers for the second year in a row.
“Last year we had the Cheers logo and it melted by three in the afternoon,” said Kershaw. “It’s cold enough right now but we’ll see. In a few days it can be warm.”
Kershaw said that First Night brings people downtown to begin with and the ice sculptures just add to the entertainment.
Although there have been some cuts, people still had plenty of fun with the various activities happening in Copley Square, the colorful precession to the Boston Common, and the fireworks over the park.
“We still wanted a celebration,” Kershaw. “It’s just not as big.”
Lady M. Confections a boutique cake store on Newbury Street that opened this past June are thrilled to be celebrating their first holiday’s in Boston by hosting an ice sculpture.
“We are excited to be a part of it,” said Emily Weber the store manager for Lady M. Confections before First Night Boston.
With store locations around the world including cities such as New York, Los Angeles, Singapore and Hong Kong, Weber said that many customers are happy to have a location open up in Boston.
Their ice sculpture went up the Friday night before due to the cold temperatures.
With a lot of orders already in for New Years Eve, Weber hopes the ice sculpture will entice even more people to come in and check out the store.
“It’s the first time the store ever had an ice sculpture,” said Weber. “Hopefully the ice sculpture will bring people in that normally wouldn’t come in.”
Around Boston, six other Maritime Legend inspired ice sculptures also took form in Copley Square and a frog ice sculpture went up at the Frog Pond in the Boston Common. The theme was chosen in celebration of Boston’s rich history and heritage around the waterfront.
Ranging from eight feet to 14 feet, the ice sculptures ranged from Jaws, The USS Constitution, Boston Light to the NBC Boston Logo.