Popularity continues for OCCA’s annual weekend ‘Ice’ event
The third annual Ice on the Avenue last weekend may or may not have drawn a larger crowd to Old Colorado City than the estimated 19,000 a year ago or 17,000 in
its first year, but organizer Gina Kaiser could definitely point to bottom-line success.
“The reports I've gotten from merchants is that their sales exceeded last year,” she said afterward. Although reluctant to offer an estimate of her own, she said, “I think there were more people than last year.” The event is sponsored by the Old Colorado City Associates (OCCA) business group, which seeks to attract people to this side of town. As in 2010, the main attraction was internationally famous ice sculptor William Sandusky, who spent the weekend in Bancroft Park carving a cowboy, cowgirl and a horse out of ice. Attendees at the free event could watch him work, partake of other park activities (including gold panning, sitting on longhorns brought down from Lake George's M Lazy C Ranch and sliding on an ice “checkerboard” under the pavilion), or shop along the avenue while admiring Sandusky ice sculptures commissioned by five Old Colorado City businesses. In all, the sculptor used 58 blocks of ice for his work, Kaiser said. “It was a good weekend, well received, and people were having fun.” Westside Pioneer article |