Freeze-Out in Manayunk on Feb. 1 for Run, Chowder Crawl, and Ice Sculptures

Manayunk will be the place to chill out on Saturday, Feb. 1, for the Founders Philly Freeze-Out, the Freeze-Out Run, and the 2025 MNYK Chowder Crawl, held from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Main Street in Manayunk will be transformed into a winter wonderland complete with more than two dozen Instagram-worthy ice sculptures created by the "ice king" Peter Slavin of Ice Sculpture Philadelphia. Guests can watch 10 live ice carving demonstrations, take turns on the ice slide, step inside a snowy igloo, shop a winter craft market, and warm up with a chowder crawl.

“Founders Philly Freeze-Out is the perfect blend of winter wonder and community celebration,” said Manayunk Development Corp. Director of Events Caitlin Marsilii in a news release shared with the Delaware County Daily Times. “Each year, we're incredibly honored to bring in Ice Sculpture Philly, Peter Slavin, and his incredible team, who work with the business owners to bring Manayunk to life on ice.”

The festivities begin at 9 a.m. with the Freeze-Out Run by Philadelphia Runner and New Balance. Events will also include a lion dance with New Leaf in celebration of Chinese and Lunar New Year.

Founders Philly Freeze-Out spotlights Manayunk's Main Street businesses. Food, drink, and shopping are pay-as-you-go. 

The 2025 MNYK Chowder Crawl costs $18 per ticket. Bring your appetite as more than a dozen restaurants interpret the winter comfort food classic with variations such as chipotle chicken chowder, tom kah salmon chowder, turkey corn chowder, and traditional clam chowder.

More than 700 parking spaces are available in lots throughout the Manayunk commercial district, including the following:

Back in the ‘80s, Saturday mornings were sacred. It was the one time of the week kids had the TV all to themselves. No parents yelling about chores or bills, no news anchors going on about politic. Just pure kid fun in the form of cartoons. These weren’t just any cartoons either; these were shows so epic, they made waking up early on a weekend feel worth it. If you were lucky, you’d grab a bowl of your favorite sugary cereal, plop down in front of the TV, and let the magic happen.

In the ‘80s Saturday morning cartoons had it all! Action, comedy, and sometimes a random PSA about how not to be a jerk to your friends. They had characters you wished you could be, like a sword-wielding hero or a cool mutant turtle with ninja skills. The stories were wild, the animation was colorful (for the time), and the theme songs? Certified bangers. Seriously, some of those intros still live rent-free in my head decades later.

The best part? These Saturday morning cartoons shows had no shame in being completely over the top. They’d mix robots with dinosaurs, throw in some aliens, and add a plot about saving the planet for good measure. But that’s what made them awesome, they were ridiculous, and we loved them for it. Even now, thinking about those Saturday mornings hits me with a wave of nostalgia so strong I can almost taste the Cap’n Crunch.

He-Man wasn’t just jacked—he was the guy. Fighting Skeletor in a world of magic and monsters, He-Man made you believe yelling “By the power of Grayskull!” could fix anything. The show was cheesy but in the best way.

Robots turning into cars, planes, and everything else? Genius. Optimus Prime was the dad you always wanted, and Megatron made being bad look cool. It was the ultimate battle of good versus evil with explosions.

Four mutant turtles trained in martial arts by a giant rat? Sure, why not! They ate pizza, kicked butt, and had catchphrases like “Cowabunga!” What’s not to love?

Lion-O and the gang brought a mix of sci-fi and fantasy to your screen. With their epic battles and that wild “ThunderCats, ho!” battle cry, they had you hooked. Plus, Snarf was everyone’s weird little sidekick.

“Knowing is half the battle!” If you watched G.I. Joe, you probably still say that line. The team of elite soldiers fought Cobra and taught life lessons at the same time. A true classic.