A powder of ice sprayed from Bill Sundiski’s buzz saw Saturday in Old Colorado City as he cut into a bluish block of ice.Ten minutes later, Sundiski had turned the rectangular block into a Roman-style pillar to use as a leg for an ice table.“The pillar was in there,” Sundiski said of the transformation. “You’ve just got to be able to see it.”Now in its third year, Ice on the Avenue is happening this weekend in Bancroft Park in Old Colorado City. Events include gold panning, horse-drawn carriage rides and an exhibition of a handful of Texas Longhorns, beef cattle brought in from a Lake George ranch.But the main attraction was Sundiski, who was carving in front of the Colorado City Creamery before a wide-eyed audience.The burly 48-year-old driver for Reddy Ice, which supplied the ice blocks, has been carving for 25 years. His creations include airplanes, Superman, Christmas wreaths and Santa Claus.His tools are two buzz saws, an electric grinder, ice picks and a blow torch to give his creations a glow.Yes, skill is involved, Sunkiski said, but “the rest is pretty much imagination.”Emily Stephenson, watching the carving with her 9-month-old stroller-bound son, Xanden, was surprised how quickly Sundiski made nothing into something.“If it were me, it would take me three days to do something like that,” she said.At Bancroft Park, people strolled about examining the ice sculptures while others panned for gold and gawked at sleepy-eyed Longhorns.Some people who petted the beasts marvelled at their hair. “I expected it to be coarse,” said Gloria Miller of Colorado Springs, “but it’s soft, like a baby’s.”Much of Bancroft Park was taken up by the miner’s display organized by Gold Prospectors of Colorado.Experts demonstrated gold sifting devices used since the late 19th century, while people panned for gold for free in six troughs.Their effort was worth it: Organizers had spiked the troughs with three ounces of gold.Ben Higley, a Gold Prospectors member, showed two adults and five kids standing around a trough how to find treasure in the muck.Higley scooped up a pan of pebbles and sand and started swirling until all that was left were black maganatite and golden specks.“Gold,” he shouted as the children laughed. “Enough to buy a pizza and a large soda pop.”Last year the weekend event drew about 20,000 people, said Gina Kaiser, president and CEO of Kaiser Advertising, the Ice on the Avenue organizer. She expects this year’s attendance to grow given the warm weather.

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EVENT CONTINUES TODAYIce on the Avenue at Bancroft Park from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday in Old Colorado City is free

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