Delafield 'DelaFREEZE' winter festival draws crowd after winter storm

DELAFIELD, Wis. - As thousands of people in Wisconsin recover vehicles and power after the winter storm, the fallout did not stop the fun Saturday in Delafield.

"The temperatures are perfect, so we’ve got the perfect storm – no pun intended," said ice carver Mike Austin.

Austin was one of 18 people carving ice throughout downtown Delafield for the 6th annual "DelaFREEZE" event. The family-friendly winter festival allowed Austin to tap into his creative side.

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"We do something not a lot of people get to do," he said. "To have that vision of what I want to pull out of that block of ice, and have it done successfully, that’s the win."

This year’s festival followed a major snowstorm that left tens of thousands of people in Waukesha County without power. Still, organizers did not expect the cold to stop the crowds.

6th annual "DelaFREEZE" winter festival in Delafield

"I don’t think the weather is going to deter anybody, it might bring more people," said co-creator Cameron McFarland.

"Who doesn’t want to come to a winter event when it’s snowing and pretty, right?" co-creator Jenifer Baum said.

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McFarland and Baum are on the Delafield Chamber of Commerce's board of directors. They said, be it the selfie stands, tic-tac-toe, snowman toss or ice carvings, the goal is simple.

"Enjoy the area and help make local businesses thrive," McFarland said.

"If you’re going to live here in the winter, you might as well have fun doing it," said Austin.