January Day at Discovery Green Park in Houston ~ Ice Sculpting, Ice Skating and More with Photos

Discovery Green Park

I have already written about Discovery Green in another hub. It gives information about the creation of the park, location, areas within the park and the fabulous and colorful permanent sculptures that can be found there.

This particular hub will focus just on impressions and images from one day's sojourn to this downtown city park in Houston, Texas.

Some friends invited me to join them to primarily see the so called "Dirty Dozen." It was a one day only event on a Saturday...January 7, 2012.

One dozen recognized ice sculpting artists from around the country including states as far away as Illinois, California and Alaska came to Discovery Green Park to compete. Using primarily chainsaws along with some blow torches and chisels they transformed huge blocks of ice into ice sculptures of various types.

I gladly accepted thinking that it would be fun to see and experience.

Ice sculpting

I am sure when this event which was undoubtedly slated well in advance, the planners never expected that this January day would be 76 degrees Fahrenheit or even a few degrees higher. But that is what the day brought by way of outdoor temperatures!

These blocks of ice that had been recycled from frozen rainwater were shaded and sometimes even partially covered with insulating materials to keep them frozen as long as possible. The sculptures would later serve to water areas of Discovery Park as they melted which is terrific after the severe drought we all experienced last year.

The ice sculpting event lasted from 10 am to 5:30 pm and was free to the public.

A white picket type of fencing surrounded the area where these icy mediums were being transformed into recognizable "masterpieces" and the public was invited to vote on their favorites. There was to be a grand prize of cash and a people's choice award as well. Of course the bragging rights would be priceless!

As you will be able to tell from the many photos that I took, one could view the ice sculptures from different angles by walking around the fenced area. As the day progressed, the blocks of ice truly became works of art.

We did not stay to see who won this year's contest nor for the performance which was to take place on the Anheuser-Busch stage between The Reverend Butter and the winning ice sculptors. However we did see people already laying out blankets on the Jones Lawn in preparation for that probable very comical event.

Ice skating

This year the outdoor ice skating rink at Discovery Green was opened on November 24, 2011 and will remain open until January 22, 2012. The dates may vary slightly year to year but this has also become an annual thing to look forward to enjoying in Houston. Corporate sponsors help make this possible.

Tickets cost $10 plus tax but this also includes the skate rental which is great. Except for a few people who have moved here from more northern climates and who moved their ice skates with them, few Houstonians would normally have a pair of ice skates in their possession.

Just look at the fun people seemed to be having on the day of our visit!

Gateway Fountain

It brought smiles to our faces to see the delight of children and their parents splashing about and having fun in this Discovery Green fountain. On a patterned granite surface jets of water sometimes low and at other times arcing up to heights as high as fourteen feet have people laughing and playing.

In the heat of the summer months, the cooling effect of the water would be particularly nice!

Art in the park

There is seasonal art at Discovery Green Park and we were treated to giant balloons fastened up in the 100 year old oak trees and waving in the breezes.

The exhibit was titled Through the eyes of a child and was conceived by artist David Graeve.

Art car

More likely called an art cart, those of you who follow my writings know of my appreciation of the wild and wacky forms of art as well as the beautiful and sublime. This vehicle in Discovery Green drew lots of attention and also made people smile.

John P. McGovern Playground

Kids are always having fun in this playground area of Discovery Green Park. For the first time I actually walked over to it and discovered that the ground area is composed of some type of soft yet sturdy material (perhaps recycled rubber?) which would make for a soft landing if children happen to trip or fall down.

From a distance I noticed some bird images and I thought that perhaps these were some decorations that were still up since Christmas. But I found out that they are a permanent feature of the playground and represent the many types of birds that fly over Houston migrating further south or north depending upon the time of year.

Look at the smiles on faces of both the children and parents watching over them on last Saturday's day at Discovery Green.

Fun day

As readers of this hub can tell from the photos below, many people had their four footed friends on leashes with them in Discovery Green Park.

There were many different concessionaires ready to supply food and drinks to the people enjoying a day in the park whether strolling the grounds, sitting at picnic tables, chairs or even sprawled out on blankets placed on the ground.

The skies over Houston that day were clear and blue with an occasional cloud passing overhead.

Everyone seemed to be having a good time.

The Grove

At the south end of Discovery Green is a wonderful restaurant called The Grove. It blends perfectly with the surrounding area overlooking the century old trees and lawn areas with spectacular views of the park. Large glass windows let one view activities in the park and one can sit both inside and outside and be served.

My two friends and I decided to have lunch there and we were very pleased with the decor, food, service and overall ambiance.

We shared an appetiser of BBQ glazed pork meatballs with a buttermilk dressing as a base on the plate. Then we all decided to have the same entree with was a Grilled Salmon Salad Mediterranean Style with Chick Peas, Shaved Carrots and Fennel. The wood grilled 5 ounce portion of salmon had an herbed aioli sauce drizzled over the top. All of us agreed that the food was not only visually beautiful but tasty as well.

I would choose to return again anytime! Looking at the plates of other diners as we walked out...there are many more enticing dishes just waiting to be sampled and enjoyed.

What to do in Houston

If you find yourself anywhere near downtown and are at a loss of ideas of what to do in Houston, perhaps this one half day journey to Discovery Green Park with my photos will give you ideas of what there is to see in the month of January. Even if there is not ice sculpting and ice skating, at all times of the year excitement and special events will help keep you entertained. The best part of all is that the vast majority of things in the park are always free.