Students and local residents gathered to enjoy live ice carving and ice sculpture walk, free carriage rides, winter barnyard, special outdoor holiday farmer's markets, heated music tents, marshmallow roastings and hot chocolate.

Scott Miller, owner of Miller Ice Sculptures Inc., and his co-worker Chris Tobias, attended Winter Glow for their third year creating Christmas ice sculptures for the holiday festival.

“I came here before I had a business, it was a bunch of chefs that came and carved a block over there on the wall,” Miller said, pointing toward the Marriott Hotel.

During the festival, Miller and Tobias carved ice sculptures as crowds stood by to see the sculptures come to life.

“I love coming here, it’s getting bigger every year, it gets better every year and we do a little more every year,” Miller said.

One popular carving made by Miller Ice Sculptures is the ice sculpture of Santa’s sleigh. Festival attendees used the sleigh as a photo opportunity and were able sit on Santa's sleigh. 

Miller has been carving the sculpture every year since he’s been at Winter Glow festival.

“Millers Ice Sculptures is able to adapt to any occasion, they can change the theme of the sculpture to go along with the occasion,” Tobias said. “Obviously, on an occasion like this we are doing something Christmas and that’s why he’s working on reindeer and that’s why we have Santa’s sleigh across the street.”

Friday they placed ice sculptures around downtown East Lansing stores and restaurants for the winter festivals.

Santa’s sleigh was placed outside the Marriott Hotel. It took 10 blocks of ice to create the ice sculpture.

“They come out of the mold about 400 pounds,” Tobias said. “They’re not only heavy but they are delicate. ... So if you drop it you will not hurt your toe, you will lose your toe.”

Live bands, carolers and a corral of goats were present Saturday evening, along with free carriage rides provided by BJG Rustic Acres Carriage Rides, owned by Blake and Jane Griffin.

"We gear up for this ... this is our ninth wagon ride this year, and then we were in the Silver Bells parade," Griffin said.

Carriage rides were pulled by gelding and mare Percheron horses, Griffin said. Families snuggled up to one another on the carriage rides as it slowly started to snow.

"I just think this is part of heritage we need to keep alive, t's just something we never need to see go away because this is where America was built, with the horse power," Griffin said. "It brings it back and especially the big horses they're a lot of horses out there. But they're not big and unique like what were running here today."