Before modern refrigeration, the ice trade began with the harvesting of ice from frozen ponds, lakes and rivers during the winter and was stored for use in the summer months. Today, Wee Kut Ice Company located in New London, Minnesota continues the tradition of harvesting ice from frozen lakes. Rather than using the harvested ice for refrigeration, ice harvested by Wee Kut Ice Company is now used for ice carvings, movie and television commercial production, and building structures for winter festivals including the annual Spicer WinterFest beginning with the first Ice Castle in 1987.