Lincoln Ball uses an antique hand tool to guide a block of ice during the ice harvest at the Thompson Ice House in South Bristol on March 12, 2017. The 2018 event is scheduled for Sunday, Feb. 18. (Maia Zewert photo)
The traditional ice harvest at Thompson Ice House in South Bristol will be held Sunday, Feb. 18.
The free event attracts large crowds every year to participate or watch as a crew of volunteers cuts large blocks of ice from Thompson Pond.
The annual ice harvest will start at 10 a.m. and continue until 3 p.m. Attendees have the opportunity to witness and participate in an ice harvest, an event common in the days before refrigerators.
Using antique ice-cutting tools, volunteers of all ages will have the chance to cut large ice blocks from Thompson Pond and move the blocks along a narrow channel, up a wood ramp, and into the historic ice house.
The ice harvested is used to make ice cream for the annual ice cream social, which will take place July 1.
The event is free to attend. Donations are appreciated, and all contributions will go toward the preservation of the Thompson Ice House and pond, according to Ken Lincoln, the president of the Thompson Ice House Preservation Corp.
Ice house merchandise will be available and the ice house museum will be open.
The nonprofit Thompson Ice House Preservation Corp. manages the Thompson Ice House, a working museum dedicated to the methods of traditional ice harvesting in South Bristol. For more information, visit thompsonicehouse.com or facebook.com/thompsonicehouse.
