We couldn’t help noticing the irony.
Here were two awfully talented ice artists from Stellar Ice carving large ice sculptures. The sweat dripping from their brows was only slightly less than the drip, drip, drip of water popping off the sculptures.
“I kept telling my son, ‘It’s not supposed to melt that fast, but hey, welcome to Texas!’” laughed Angela Ramirez, who watched with her family as the delicate designs slowly surrendered to the heat. “Honestly, though, it was beautiful while it lasted.”
It was. When Downtown Arlington Director Maggie Campbell told me about the Ice Sculpture taking place at Rotary Dream Park, I knew I had to see it, and it was worth leaving the litany of drums booming right outside Inclusion Coffee.
Noah Mosgofian from the Drum One, Drum All group led the drum circle experience, which had people of all ages channeling their inner percussionists.
“This was so much fun,” shouted 8-year-old Cameron John, who was given a chance to go solo during the improvised drum performance.
“I was good.”
Mom nodded in amused agreement.
Welcome to First Thursdays, which is quickly proving how art, music, and a lot of community spirit can turn an ordinary evening into something spectacular—even if some of the art presents a bit of a melting challenge.
“We have three under our belt now,” said Campbell, who was making the rounds, walking from venue to venue, during this February edition. “The plan is to do them all year round. And this is to really promote Arlington’s cultural history and bring all the arts and the community together.”
First Thursdays is an ingenious idea. If you venture downtown on the first Thursday of any month, you’ll find pretty much anything, from music in the streets to poetry in the shops.
Campbell promises that no month will look like the other, which will provide a nice change of pace for the regulars to see what the Arlington business and arts community has up its sleeves.
For instance, just a few blocks from the drummers, the Kirk Franklin Studio guided tours gave attendees a rare behind-the-scenes look at the Grammy-winning artist’s creative space. The tours were so popular that they quickly sold out. Music lovers got to see where the magic happens.
Across town, DJ Tone Hunts brought the beats to Ann’s Natural Grocery & Nutrition, setting the vibe as guests shopped and sampled goodies like Two Niles Elderberry Tonic and Resist Functional Protein Bars—because nothing says “night out” like dancing between the organic snacks.
At Wondrous Works Gift Shop, love was in the air with a Valentine-themed Sip and Shop event. A 15% discount was offered in exchange for donations of paper goods for the Arlington Life Shelter.
“It’s like spreading love and getting a good deal,” said Jasmyn Stein, who lives in Southlake and was visiting her two sisters. “This is fabulous.”
Culture seekers celebrated the Lunar New Year at Kung Fu Tea, where a traditional red paper-cutting craft event added a festive touch to the evening. At Arlington Music Hall, music lovers were treated to Neil Schnell’s “Live Musical in the Small Hall,” a perfect prelude to Symphony Arlington’s grand performance.
Finally, the new Sutton Frost Cary space opened its doors for an Open House, featuring stunning historical photos of old Arlington and the best snapshots from the Rotary Dream Park Photo Contest—which, fortunately, did not include a time lapse of the melting ice sculptures.
There were far more than I could physically visit.
For March, an artist will create a mural for the National Medal of Honor Museum—and paint it live—while restaurant goers might be surprised by a pop-up of Shakespeare.
“We are having Shakespeare Live in April, so the pop-ups from actors doing scenes will give people a little taste of it,” Campbell said.
Campbell is quite pumped about all this and should be.
Arlington benefits from this arrangement for artists, businesses, and the city’s economic vitality.
“It’s important that you have a healthy downtown,” Campbell said. “That’s fundamental, right? Downtown represents jobs and investment, but it’s the city’s identity. Your downtown represents your community spirit. It’s where the community celebrates itself.”
And have fun doing it.
