If you’ve lived in Philly long enough, you know winter doesn’t need to be endured—it can be curated. That’s exactly what Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 is doing by turning Manayunk into a full-on winter wonderland on Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. The concept is delightfully simple: bundle up, hit Main Street, and let the neighborhood do the heavy lifting with ice art, beer specials, comfort food, shopping deals, and the kind of community energy that makes a cold day feel like a mini holiday.
Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 is presented by Founders Brewing Company and Manayunk Development Corporation, and it’s designed as an open-street event with activations stretching along Main Street, plus Canal View Park and the RichardsApex parking lot. Streets closed for the event include Grape and Cotton, which helps the day feel like a true “walk it, wander it, discover it” festival rather than a stop-in-and-leave situation.
The best part for anyone planning a casual Saturday is that Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 is free to attend. You can show up, roam the ice sculptures, and soak up the atmosphere, then choose your own adventure from there—chowder samples, Founders specials, food trucks, merchant deals, and family-friendly activities are all pay-as-you-go.
And the tone of it all is exactly what you want for late January: playful, communal, and unapologetically Philly. As Manayunk Development Corporation Events Manager Carla Ferro put it, “Founders Philly Freeze-Out is the perfect winter day filled with a combination of fun and community. Peter Slavin and his incredible team do an incredible job of working with the business owners to bring Manayunk to life on ice!” That quote nails the spirit of Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026—it’s not just a festival dropped onto a street; it’s a neighborhood-wide collaboration where the businesses are part of the show.
Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026: Ice Sculptures, Live Carving, Main Street Magic
The headline attraction at Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 is the ice—specifically 22-plus ice sculptures and six live carving demonstrations created by Ice Sculpture Philly. If you’ve ever watched a block of ice transform in real time, you already know it’s weirdly mesmerizing: chainsaws, chisels, flying ice dust, and suddenly a recognizable form emerges like a magic trick you can actually hear.
Ice Sculpture Philly has been part of this event since the first year, and the team—led by lead sculptor and owner Peter Slavin—has created concepts for ice sculptures and festivals around the world. Their range is part of the fun. One moment you’re looking at something elegant and classical, and the next you’re laughing at an ice cheeseburger.
This year’s sculpture lineup is intentionally wide-ranging, with pieces spanning everything from Roman busts to Rocky, along with specific crowd-pleasers like a Thai leaping horse, a cheeseburger, and even a depiction of the meme 6/7. It’s public art with a wink—exactly the kind of playful spectacle that makes Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 feel like it belongs to Manayunk.
Live carving demos will take place at Bayou & Cactus, JD McGillicuddy’s, Mia Ragazza, New Leaf, The Goat’s Beard, and The Tomato Shack Manayunk, formerly The Couch Tomato. A live carving schedule will be posted closer to the event, but the beauty of the day is that you don’t need a strict itinerary. You can drift into a demo as it’s happening, watch the sculpture come to life, then warm up inside with food or a beer before continuing your loop.
The sculptures themselves will be installed up and down Main Street at participating locations including BabyFace Studio, Blondie, Chabaa Thai Bistro, Hotbox Yoga, Jedidiah Gallery & Design Store, Lucky’s Last Chance, Main Street Music, Manayunk Brew Pub, Minor Details, Philadelphia Runner, Ryan’s Pub, Somo Manayunk, Taqueria Amor, The Little Apple, The Rook, Valerio Coffee, and Yanako. That distribution is part of what makes Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 feel so walkable and alive. It’s not a single fenced-in footprint—it’s the entire corridor participating, which encourages you to shop, snack, and explore as you go.
Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026: Run, Chowder Crawl, Market, Beer, and Family Fun
One of the smartest details of Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 is how it stacks the day, starting with movement and ending with comfort. The morning kicks off with the Freeze Out Run by Philadelphia Runner and New Balance at 9:00 am, beginning at 4358 Main Street. It’s about 3-ish miles, no charge to participate, and welcoming to all, but advance registration is required.
The payoff is a perfect festival rhythm: get your blood moving early, then roll directly into the main event. New Balance will also bring sneakers for runners to test out, along with treats, and the run culminates with the unveiling of Philadelphia Runner’s 2026 ice sculpture—an especially Philly flourish that turns the run into part of the spectacle.
From there, the Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 main event runs 11:00 am to 4:00 pm, with plenty of reasons to bring friends, kids, or out-of-town visitors who need to see the city’s neighborhoods at their best. There’s a kids’ moonbounce, a snowy igloo photo-op, an ice fishing giveaway game, a mobile gaming truck, live music, food trucks, and traditional Chinese New Year Lion Dancing with New Leaf at various times throughout the afternoon. There’s enough variety to keep every age group happy.
The Founders Winter Market at Richards Apex, 4170 Main Street, is another major draw, especially if you like festivals where you can actually leave with something cool besides a photo. The market is heated and curated, featuring local artisans and makers offering everything from gourmet nuts and handmade jewelry to ceramics, planters, upcycled clothing, gourmet pickles, candles, doggie bandanas, and more.
Vendors already announced include Black White Gray, Blueberry Fields Artisan Soap, Brixxy & Co., Fishtown Pickle Project, From Mine, To Yours, Geauxd Raw Stone, Lily Lough Jewelry, Little Notes Baking Company LLC, Mad Made It, Maker Missya, Nutty Novelties, S H Candles, ShayLynn Jewelry Art & Apparel, Skankenstein Designs, Tammy’s Body Butters & More, Tuft Broad, and Wild Ones Collections.
There are also additional vendors listed that include Lady Art, Shady Sunglass Deals, The Girl Scouts of America, and The Super Boutique, which helps the market feel like a proper neighborhood pop-up rather than a tiny craft corner.
Food trucks will be on-site too, including Babalouie BBQ, From the Boot on the Move, Knappy Knicky Party Rentals, Hangry Joe’s, Humpty’s Dumplings, Lobster Rolls & More, and Los Gallos Taqueria. Translation: you can snack like an adult, feed kids quickly, or turn the day into a rolling lunch as you bounce between sculptures and shops.
Then there’s the Founders side of Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026, which is a major part of the personality. Founders Brewing Company will be bringing beer specials to the street, with Manayunk restaurants offering deals and specials on brews including Mortal Bloom Imperial Thorn, Devil Root, Centennial IPA, Hoppy Mood, and new this year, the nonalcoholic beer Nonetheless.
Founders will also be out with samples, giveaways, swag, and the Founders Ice Bar on the corner of Cotton and Main—an ice bar in winter is exactly the kind of “of course Philly would do that” moment that makes the whole day feel like a story you’ll tell later.
For anyone who believes winter is chowder season, the MNYK Chowder Crawl is the delicious backbone of the afternoon. The crawl runs from 12:00 pm to 4:00 pm, with over 14 restaurants serving a sample of their take on winter comfort food—options mentioned include chipotle chicken chowder, tom kah salmon chowder, turkey corn chowder, and traditional clam chowder.
Tickets include one chowder sample from all participating restaurants, a wristband, and a custom crawl map. Check-in runs 11:30 am to 2:00 pm at 106 Grape St. Presale tickets are $18 and week-of tickets are $25, and since it sells out every year, it’s the one part of Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 you don’t want to leave to chance.
Finally, the merchant specials are the kind of detail that makes this feel like a true neighborhood festival. BabyFace Studio is celebrating its 1st anniversary. Bayou will offer $5 Founders and a $5 Tito Strawberry Lemonade. Cactus will run $5 Founders and a $5 Jalapeno Spicy Margarita. Hotbox Yoga is promoting a 5-class pack sale. Jedidiah Gallery & Design Store is doing 20% off storewide. Philadelphia Runner is tying in Freeze-Out Run energy plus in-store sales. The Tomato Shack is featuring beer and soup specials. If you’re doing Founders Philly Freeze Out 2026 right, you’re supporting the small businesses that give Manayunk its personality.
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