2024 Lake James Ice Festival

Jurassic Ice Park

The 3rd annual Lake James Ice Festival took the beloved event to new heights in January, thanks to ice carver Aaron Costic’s remarkable talent and imagination.

Jurassic Ice Park featured 19 dinosaur-themed sculptures, some of them so large that patrons could sit astride and mug for photos. Costic brought in a crack team of professional ice carvers to lend their inspiration and skills.

Jim Duggan and Todd Dawson, both world champion carvers in their own right, helped create a fantastical world that included tyrannosaurus rex, velociraptors, triceratops and more.

More than 700 tickets were sold, raising more than $5,000 for the Friends of Lake James State Park and their mission of supporting park projects, programs and staff.

The highly anticipated Cold Hard Cash Raffle raised over $2,000. The cash and sculpture that encased it was all donated by Marion Tire and Service Center.

Other major donors to the event included; Duke Energy, SanStone Health and Rehabilitation, Community Companion Home Care and Fonta Flora Brewery.