Bonfire on ice: Tangier residents throw party while frozen in

The Daily Times

Tangier residents made the best of being frozen in on their island in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay by reviving an old tradition — gathering for a wintertime bonfire Sunday on the ice at Job's Cove.

Tangier, Virginia residents walk on the frozen Chesapeake Bay after a winter storm and freezing temperatures left the island iced in during early January 2018.

More than 100 people — out of a population of 722 — came out to the event, according to one attendee.

A blizzard on Jan. 4 dumped up to 13 inches of snow on parts of Accomack County.

Life for Tangier residents was complicated by the continuing frigid temperatures that left them iced in.

More:Icebreaker a vital lifeline for frozen Smith Island

Trent Pruitt rides a bicycle on the ice near Tangier, Virginia after a winter storm and freezing temperatures in early January 2018 left areas of the Chesapeake Bay frozen and covered in snow.

Still, they made the best of the situation, including gathering for a bonfire, complete with music and hot chocolate Saturday night.

"This was the first bonfire in many years, probably 40 or more," said Tangier resident Carol Pruitt-Moore.

It was resident Allen Parks' idea to revive the tradition, she said.

A modern means of communication — Facebook — was used to spread the word, with everyone on the island invited to join in.

"Some ice skated and were sledding. We had music, hot chocolate...a really fun time," said Pruitt-Moore, who documented the event and the winter freeze in general in a series of photographs posted on Facebook.

On Twitter @cvvaughnESN

443-260-3314