Christmas Festival of Ice
Where to watch
United States7 ways
Canada2 ways
United Kingdom6 ways
Via 
JustWatch · can change anytime.
The premise
Emma is determined to keep her hometown's Christmas ice-sculpting contest going. She enlists sponsors and artists, but Nick, the town's ace artisan, isn't interested in competing until he sees what Emma has accomplished.
How unusual is it?
Middle of the road, with a twist — mistaken identity and an actual miracle keep it from being totally by-the-book.
Who’s in it
Behind the camera
ShowHide
Directed by
Written by
Wait, what?
The quirks and curveballs that make this one a little weirder than your average Hallmark. No spoilers, promise.
- Nick's 'reflex' to invent a fictitious antisocial brother to explain away his artistic talent.
- The high-stakes drama of raising $15,000 for ice blocks in a tiny window of time.
- The concept of 'total carving time' regulations (36 hours per person) being treated with the gravity of a professional sporting event.
Every trope, all in one place
Here’s everything this one has going on, from the setting to the way it wraps up. Tap any of the 30 to find more movies that do the same thing.
Setting2
Time & season3
Conflict5
Romance6
Tone & quirks3
How it ends3
How it all plays out
Already seen it, or just can’t wait? Open this up for the whole story, ending included.
Full story (spoilers)
The film opens with Emma Parkers returning to Westford after finishing law school and taking the bar exam. While getting coffee with her friend Sarah, she notices the town is not preparing for the annual Christmas Festival of Ice. She learns from Councilman Harvey Norris that the ice sculpting competition was cancelled to save 'Santa's Workshop' in the budget. Emma, whose family has a long history with the competition, strikes a deal with Harvey: if she can raise $15,000 in two weeks, the competition is back on. Meanwhile, Emma meets Nick Claiborne at his family's tree lot. She admires a beautiful ice sculpture there, but Nick lies and says it was made by his 'antisocial brother' to avoid attention. Emma starts a JumpFunder campaign and struggles to balance her fundraising with her duties at her mother Carol's law firm. She eventually discovers that Nick is the true artist and that he stopped competing after his former partner and girlfriend, Tara, broke his heart and moved to Los Angeles. Emma convinces Nick to be her partner after her father, Dan, steps aside to let her 'make the tradition her own.' The fundraising stalls until an anonymous donor contributes $10,000, meeting the goal. Emma assumes it was a local businessman, Frank Duvall, but he later denies it. As the competition begins, Emma receives her bar exam results—she passed. However, the joy is overshadowed by her realization that she doesn't actually want to be a lawyer. In a climactic conversation, Emma confesses her feelings to her parents. Her mother, Carol, reveals that she was the anonymous $10,000 donor because she wanted Emma to have the choice to follow her heart. Emma and Nick spend the final 72 hours carving a massive sculpture titled 'Memories of Westford.' They win the competition, and Emma decides to pursue a career that aligns with her passion for community and art rather than joining her mother's firm immediately. The film ends with Nick and Emma sharing a romantic moment and a kiss, celebrating their victory and new future together.
Beat by beat
Opening
Emma returns home and discovers the town's historic ice sculpting competition has been cancelled due to a $20,000 budget shortfall.
Inciting Incident
Emma makes a deal with Councilman Harvey to raise $15,000 in two weeks to reinstate the competition.
Midpoint
Emma discovers Nick is a secret master sculptor who uses a fake brother as a cover story to avoid the pain of his past heartbreak.
Rising Action
An anonymous donor provides $10,000 to the JumpFunder, officially saving the competition.
Climax
Emma passes the bar exam but realizes she doesn't want to be a lawyer; her mother reveals she was the secret donor to give Emma the freedom to choose her own path.
Resolution
Emma and Nick win the competition with their 'Memories of Westford' sculpture and start a romantic relationship.
30 tropes in one movie
We counted 30 distinct Hallmark tropes packed into this one — a genuine greatest-hits reel.
How it stacks up
Where this one’s rating lands against every other rated Hallmark movie.
Higher-rated than 15% of every rated Hallmark movie. The median is 6.4.
Where this one fits
The corners of the catalog Christmas Festival of Ice belongs to — handy if you’re after more of the same.
Lines worth quoting
The lines that stuck with us — the ones you’ll be repeating after the credits roll.
“I'm sorry I told you about my fictitious brother. But it's a reflex.”
— Nick ClaiborneWhen Emma catches him sculpting and realizes he lied about who made the art. “Look inside your heart, Emma. Find the thing that you really love. And that's how you know you found the right choice.”
— Nick ClaiborneEncouraging Emma to choose her passion over her law career. “I just wanted you to have the choice... to do the thing you love the most.”
— Carol ParkersRevealing she was the secret donor who saved the competition.
Meet the characters
Who’s who before you press play. Nothing here gives the ending away.
Emma Parkers
LeadAspiring Lawyer / Ice Sculptor
DeterminedArtisticCommunity-mindedOrganizedNick Claiborne
Love interestChristmas Tree Lot Owner / Sculptor
Partner in the competition and romantic interest
GuardedTalentedKindSecretiveCarol Parkers
SupportingLawyer
Mother
AmbitiousExpectantSecretly SupportiveDan Parkers
SupportingArchitect
Father
EncouragingTraditionalWarmLonny Barnes
SupportingBusiness Partner
Nick's best friend
JovialMatchmaker
Questions people ask about Christmas Festival of Ice
Where can I watch Christmas Festival of Ice?
Christmas Festival of Ice is available via fuboTV, YouTube TV, and Philo. Streaming options change often, so check current availability before settling in.
How long is Christmas Festival of Ice?
Christmas Festival of Ice runs about 1 hour and 24 minutes, and was released in 2017.
Is Christmas Festival of Ice a Christmas movie?
Yes. Christmas Festival of Ice is a Hallmark Christmas movie, set during the holiday season.
More like this
Browse all moviesIf you liked this one, you’ll probably like these. The chips show what they have in common.
The Christmas Secret
7.32014 · Christmas
- Christmas
- Small Town
- Mistaken Identity
A Reason for the Season
7.32024 · Christmas
- Taylor Cole
- Christmas
- Small Town
My Christmas Family Tree
7.62021 · Christmas
- Christmas
- Small Town
- Mistaken Identity
Three Wise Men and a Baby
7.52022 · Christmas
- Christmas
- Small Town
- Mistaken Identity
Ghosts of Christmas Always
7.42022 · Christmas
- Christmas
- Small Town
- Miracle
Journey Back to Christmas
7.02016 · Christmas
- Christmas
- Small Town
- Miracle
Talking Hallmark
Love talking about these as much as watching them?
So do we. Come hang out on the Talking Hallmark channel, where we dig into movies just like this one, episode after episode.
Watch the latest episode
“I watched Hallmark’s WORST Christmas movie (so you don’t have to)”
Data and sources
Curated by the Talking Hallmark team.Last updated .