Dazzling holiday ICE! event returns to Gaylord National Resort
More than two dozen sculptors bring ‘A Christmas Story’ to life in National Harbor with two million pounds of ice.
By WP CREATIVE GROUP
As the holiday season approaches and temperatures in Maryland start to drop, Gaylord National Resort prepares for the return of their biggest and coldest event of the year.
ICE!, a 17,000 square foot immersive walk-through experience made entirely out of ice, opens Nov. 20, after a two-year hiatus. This year’s exhibit is themed after the popular holiday movie “A Christmas Story,” allowing visitors to explore Ralphie and Randy Parker’s hometown and classic scenes from the movie. From the iconic leg lamp and the infamous pink bunny suit to the department store Santa, there’s something to spark nostalgia and joy for all ages.
International artisans create magic from blocks of ice
ICE! is open through Dec. 31, and visitors are encouraged to get tickets well in advance. Guests of Gaylord National can also find an abundance of holiday themed attractions in National Harbor and surrounding Prince George’s County, including enough dining and shopping to last a weekend.
ICE! was originally inspired by the massive ice festivals held annually in Harbin, China, where the art of sculpting runs in the family.
“What’s so interesting is that for these artisans that come here, it’s a generational thing,” said Jennifer Cerasani, Director of PR & Marketing at Gaylord National. “It’s an art form that will be passed down from the father to son or daughter, and they come here and recreate that for us on a smaller scale.”
A month before ICE! is open to the public, 35 professional sculptors arrive in Maryland alongside 6,000 blocks of ice and get to work. On average, the process can take 10,000 hours to complete. The first ICE! event debuted at Gaylord National in 2009, and the sculptures have become more intricate and colorful each year.
“We used clear ice for almost a decade,” said Niko Nickolaou, the Senior Director of Special Events for Gaylord Hotels. “The first year that we infused a storyline and colored ice was in 2010 with ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas.”
Each year, ICE! presents a different family-friendly holiday theme, such as Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas, and Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer. “We have found that our customers want traditional Christmas themes,” Nickolaou explained.
“They want that touch of nostalgia; something that has iconic moments they can connect to. ‘A Christmas Story’ is a multi-generational movie. So many families across the country have a tradition of watching this movie once or twice during the holiday season.”
This year’s exhibit features 16 memorable scenes from the movie, including 9-year-old Ralphie changing the car tire with his dad, the dogs ruining Christmas dinner, and of course, the scene where Flick, acting on a triple-dog dare, sticks his tongue to the school flagpole. The ice sculptures are dyed with a safe food-grade coloring to create the vibrant colors or backlit with colored lights to bring the experience to life.
The event’s most popular feature, a giant ice slide with four lanes, returns every year — including this year — altered slightly to fit the theme.
“When Ralphie goes to talk to Santa and asks for the gift that he wanted, Santa says, ‘You’ll shoot your eye out,’ and literally kicks him down the slide,” Nickolaou said. “We took that entire scene with Santa’s boot [on the up level] and added two story ice slides that you get to go down. You’re really putting yourself in that immersive experience and feeling like you’re Ralphie.”
To ensure these iconic sculptures last the entire holiday season, ICE! is housed in a large tent that’s kept at nine degrees Fahrenheit. Each guest receives a signature blue parka to stay warm as they experience the walkthrough, which can take anywhere between 20 to 40 minutes.
In addition to ICE!, Gaylord National creates over a dozen other themed attractions to add magic to the season. The resort’s amazing indoor snowfall and festive 55-foot Starlight Christmas Tree inspire holiday spirit. Mrs. Claus’ Christmas Traditions is a 30-minute children’s theatrical performance in which Mrs. Claus shares her favorite milk and cookies and leads a singalong. Kids can also decorate gingerbread houses, meet Santa, and toss snowballs to earn points inside the hotel’s Christmas Village, while more adventurous groups might enjoy snow tubing or bumper cars on ice.
Couples can enjoy a few laps of ice skating, or sign up for Gaylord National’s cooking classes, hosted by the resort chef. “There’s a class called Holiday Hosting 101, where you can learn to make popular holiday hors d’oeuvres as well as enjoy festive libations,” said Angela D. Alsobrooks, Prince George’s County Executive. “There’s something for everybody in the family, from cooking to ice skating to tree lighting.”
New to the resort this year is CIRQUE: Spirit of Christmas, a musical production that blends energizing Broadway music with the dazzling artistry of CIRQUE and follows a character named Noelle as she tries to regain her Christmas spirit.
In addition to the holiday fun, Gaylord National’s Old Hickory Steakhouse, revered for decadent premium beef, will be offering a seasonal holiday prix fixe menu on Thanksgiving Day and for Christmas on December 24 and 25. For guests looking for more casual fare, Harbor Social offers handcrafted sliders and interactive games like duckpin bowling, bocce ball, darts, shuffleboard, and more.
For dessert, the Holiday Sweet Shoppe serves delicious eggnog and hot chocolate and offers an impressive selection of chef-prepared desserts to take home and enjoy with family.
With so much to see and do at Gaylord National Resort, guests are encouraged to take advantage of the hotel’s overnight packages. Those who stay overnight and purchase a ticket for ICE! receive the Chill Pass, which lets families skip any lines to the attraction. Overnight guests also receive priority seating at outlets in the resort as well as the option to purchase the Extra Cool Hour, which allows guests to enjoy the attractions before they open to the general public.
Gaylord staff, National Harbor locals, and visitors from throughout the region are all thrilled to see the Christmas magic return in full force this year.
“The excitement has been something that we didn’t anticipate,” said Nickolaou. “We knew our shows were signature and iconic, but what we didn’t know is that so many memories are created here. Seeing our loyal customers coming back this year is something we’re completely excited about.”
“The pandemic interrupted a lot of the programming that our families have become accustomed to enjoying, and ICE! is one of those,” said Alsobrooks. “Families from all around the region are not only enjoying this venue, but also the nearby restaurants and shops.”
National Harbor consists of more than 160 shopping destinations like Tanger Outlets as well as local and minority businesses. The area is also known for its outdoor attractions; Lake Artemesia, Patuxent River Park, and Regional Park are perfect locations for birdwatching, cycling, and picnics.
Guests of Gaylord National can also enjoy everything National Harbor has to offer – just steps from the resort. With a nightly tree lighting, holiday music by the United States Air Force Band., and a spectacular fireworks display on most Saturday nights, it is the perfect destination to put you in the holiday spirit.
Don’t miss this spectacular holiday event — buy your tickets for ICE! and other activities at Gaylord National Resort.
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