The Forge: Lemont Quarries adventrure park is celebrating its BMX and mountain biking options with ice sculpting on Dec. 17.
The free event features a live carving by Nate Johnson, artist and owner of Johnson Studios Ice Sculptures in Chicago.
“The main feature of the ice sculpting is they’re actually going to make a life-size mountain bike that people will be able to sit on and take photos,” said Brad Donati, marketing and community director of The Forge: Lemont Quarries.
The Forge: Lemont Quarries includes five miles of easy trails, three levels of single-track skills trails and six pump and skills track courses for bicycling beginners to experts.
“This is the first time we’re having ice sculpting. We wanted to add that because as an outdoor adventure park we’re always looking to add different events throughout the year to tie in the outdoors to each of the seasons.
“We focus on three pillars so our philosophy as a company is we want to provide exhilarating, entertaining and educational experiences. For this especially, we wanted to do something that was unique. It would be fun to have a life-size bike when people are out just doing other things at the park.”
Ice sculpting takes place in front of the Foundry, the Forge: Lemont Quarries’ grab-and-go restaurant, which offers sandwiches, soup and nonalcoholic beverages, including iced or hot lattes in pumpkin, mocha, vanilla or caramel; hot coffee; hot apple cider; hot cocoa and peppermint hot cocoa.
The Foundry also has spiked hot cocktail offerings such as the Stumblin Snowman, Choco Coco Loco, spiked sea salt caramel coffee, Triple Chocolate Threat, Spiked Snickers Bar, Dirty Chai, Irish coffee with whiskey, Irish hot cocoa with whiskey, spiked cider and Peppermint Present.
“We have a fire. In the afternoons and evenings we have Christmas lights up,” said Donati of Wheaton.
“Last year we debuted ice skating. It definitely has been a popular thing at the park for families.”
The Forge: Lemont Quarries’ outdoor ice rink is open from 4 to 8 p.m. Thursdays-Fridays and 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturdays-Sundays, weather-permitting, throughout winter.
Open skate by reservation is $10 per person (maximum of 30 people per session) while private group rental is $250 for up to 30 people. Sessions last 40 minutes and include skate rental.
Ice sculpting kicks off a weekend of seasonal events, which also include Elf on the Quarry Shelf on Dec. 18-19 for $30 per team (maximum of six people per team). Starting times for the outdoor event are from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
“It’s an interactive scavenger hunt. Obviously it’s holiday-themed to get people outdoors to solve clues physically around our park at this time of year,” said Donati, which has Eugene from the 2020 hunt teaming with Cory the Quarry Elf to solve this year’s holiday mystery.
Also included in the weekend of seasonal events is the return of the Forge Sings Christmas at 4 p.m. Dec. 18-19 with performers atop the Foundry.
Availability is limited for this event, which costs $15 per person and includes one nonalcoholic or alcoholic beverage. Guests may have a minimum of two people per table (maximum of four people per table).
“It’s essentially a Christmas caroling-type concert that we’re having,” Donati said.
“We work with a lot of different people who are involved in theatrical performances throughout the Chicago area. Our education director coordinates with them. We put together just a variety of Christmas music for people to enjoy.”
The Forge: Lemont Quarries, which launched in July 2020, is open, weather-permitting, from dawn to dusk year-round.
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Winter offerings include a two-hour guided climbing adventure on Saturdays and Sundays. The route includes climbing, ropes courses and rappels and approximately two zip lines to four zip lines between towers. Cost is $50 per person (maximum of 15 people per group).
“We are outdoors. We definitely have enough space that people are spaced out and doing events safely at this time,” Donati said.
Forgefire globe dining, which debuted in winter 2020, has returned for 2021 and offers a candlelit view of the Forge: Lemont Quarries and a three-course meal with a beverage of the diner’s choice on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.
Reservations must be made one week prior to the desired date. Cost is $50 per person with each climate-controlled globe seating two people to four people.
“Sometimes the best medicine is to get outside and enjoy nature,” Donati said.
Ice sculpting
When: 5-7:30 p.m. Dec. 17
Where: The Forge: Lemont Quarries, 1001 Main St., Lemont
Tickets: free
Information: 630-326-3301; forgeparks.com/entertain
Jessi Virtusio is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.