That’s a wrap on Loop Ice Carnival 2025! This was the 18th year of this famed winter festival and our team at Full Spectrum Ice Sculptures outdid ourselves with over 60 custom ice sculptures for it. Each unique piece highlighted the vibrant spirit of St. Louis, showcasing local businesses and the culture that makes this area so wonderful.
Part of what makes this winter carnival so cool is that it incorporates beloved traditions year after year, like a fun ice carving demo by our owner Sean. However, we always put a twist on the event annually in order to keep guests guessing and coming back for more. This year, in addition to our custom ice sculptures, there was a special drone show, fire displays, and stilt walkers to say the least! It truly was a spectacular event from morning to night with creative entertainment activities for people of all ages.
We’re excited to share some of the standout pieces we created for the Loop Ice Carnival 2025!
Video: De Miranda Productions
A Celebration of the Delmar Loop
Each year, the Loop Ice Carnival lights up the Delmar Loop, a historic district in St. Louis known for its eclectic mix of local shops and family-friendly activities. The carnival started as a way to boost the local economy by promoting small businesses, and its original mission still holds true today. While the event has grown with more businesses participating and new activities added to the program, the heart of the carnival remains centered on community and supporting the local economy.
Full Spectrum’s owner, Sean, was a founding member of the Loop Ice Carnival and we have been participating in the festivities ever since! Every year, we try and up the ante with clever ice designs and new icy games. For example, this year, we worked with the East Loop Community Improvement District to come up with a fun ice fishing game. This involved a circular slab of ice with fish engraving on it and a hole in the center. We placed this on top of a barrel that was filled with water and plastic fish. Guests were invited to go “ice fishing” for a prize and we’re proud to say that it was a hit!
This creative new activity is just one example of we always try to push boundaries and innovate something new.
Loop Ice Carnival Ice Sculptures
The Delmar Loop is home to a wide variety of local businesses, each contributing to the unique character of the area. We wanted to make sure that each business got the spotlight it deserved, so we crafted ice sculptures to represent nearly every shop in the Loop. Whether it was a company’s logo, mascot, or general branding, each sculpture was carefully placed in front of the corresponding business, creating an eye-catching display for passersby.
Ice sculptures at the carnival have become a time-honored tradition and guests look forward to seeing our creations each year! They are a huge draw for people to come out to the festival and they also help boost local sales to the shops. Guests love getting photos of the ice and then they are drawn into the stores as a result.
The Delmar Loop businesses report each year that on the day of the carnival, they see their sales significantly increase, whether that’s doubling their typical sales and traffic or more.
One way we went above and beyond this year was to colorize many ice sculptures! Adding color allows the engravings on the ice to truly pop. Guests can see the ice from further away and it really creates a photo opp moment!
How can you apply this to your next event? No matter the scale and purpose of your next gathering, an ice sculpture is always a good idea! We can incorporate your logo and branding into any ice sculpture, crafting a one-of-a-kind piece that will instantly catch your guests’ eye and leave them talking long after the event is over. We invite you to view some of the ice sculptures we created for the Loop Ice Carnival and imagine the possibilities for your sculpture!
Ice Sculptures for Every Occasion
Wedding ice sculptures are very popular and we’re continually honored to provide custom ice for our couples’ big days. But we were especially excited to help one of our friends start the journey to their wedding day by helping him pop the big question!
A proposal should be magical and to us, there’s nothing more magical than ice! That’s why when our friend, John, reached out wanting our help to propose to his girlfriend, Anna, we enthusiastically said yes! We created an incredible ice sculpture that elegantly helped John ask, “Will you marry me?”
And of course, she said yes!
Congratulations Anna and John! We wish you a lifetime of happiness and can’t wait to create your wedding ice!
Live Ice Carving Demonstration
Every year, one thing the carnival attendees and our team anticipates the most is the live ice carving demonstration! A live demo where Sean cuts, carves, and chisels a raw block of ice into an imaginative ice design is always a crowd favorite. People are always amazed at the skill and precision it takes to handcraft an artistic ice sculpture.
Plus, Sean never carves the same thing twice! We draw inspiration from the event theme and purpose to ideate a unique sculpture each time. In 2024, Sean created a snowboarding Yeti under the Gateway Arch. Since the Loop Ice Carnival incorporates St. Louis and winter themes, this was an immediate hit with everyone!
For 2025, the Loop Ice Carnival theme was “Northern Lights,” so we took inspiration from this and current events to innovate a UFO ice sculpture, beaming up a moose. Everyone at the festival loved this whimsical piece for being out-of-the-box and fun! After the carving, people enjoyed taking pictures with the ice, especially the kids!
Let’s Book Your Ice Sculpture!
If you’re looking to add something truly unique to your next event—whether it’s a wedding, corporate event, or birthday party—ice sculptures can make an unforgettable impact. If you loved the ice sculptures from the Loop Ice Carnival, why not bring that magic to your own celebration?
With over a decade of experience creating custom ice sculptures, Full Spectrum Ice Sculptures can help bring your vision to life. Get in touch with our team today to start planning your own icy masterpiece!
Special Thank You To Our Loop Ice Carnival Partners:
Samantha Smugala, Director, Delmar Loop
Jessica Bueler, Executive Director, University City Loop
Ryan Griffore, Webmaster, University City Loop
Joe Edwards, Owner, Moonrise Hotel, Blueberry Hill, Peacock Loop Diner
Eclipse Restaurant at the Moonrise Hotel