Lake Superior Ice Festival Set for January 24-25
The city of Superior will host the Lake Superior Ice Festival on January 24-25 at Barker’s Island and Allouez Bay. Now in its ninth year, this annual event attracts visitors with various winter-themed activities.
Organizers are hoping for cold weather to ensure adequate ice conditions. “We prefer temperatures around 30°F for the event,” said festival organizer Jodi Saylor. Last year’s milder winter limited ice activities, but ice fishing was still available. This year, Saylor anticipates a broader range of activities across the ice.
Hay Bale Shuttle
There will be a hay bale shuttle with routes so that participants can park their cars and be shuttled to six separate spots on Barkers Island.
Winter Sports and Activities
The festival will feature a variety of winter sports and activities, including Kubb, a traditional Scandinavian lawn game, ice fishing, cornhole, disc golf and ice racing. Children and visitors of all ages will have the opportunity to create ice orbs while learning about the importance of preventing water pollution. A snowshoe obstacle course will be available, and Village Lanes will sponsor a fun game of ice bowling. Additionally, ATV races are scheduled to take place near the SS Meteor whaleback museum.
Guns and Hoses
“My brother and I started a local club, KUBB, in 2019, and so on Friday, evening, we do what’s called the Guns and Hoses KUBB showdown,” said Eric Linge. “That is a police department versus fire department kind of a mini tournament.”
This will be the Linge brothers fourth year organizing a KUBB tournament on Friday night to kick off the festival, with Superior Mayor Jim Paine giving a speech. It’s dubbed the Guns and Hoses tournament.
Ice Carving Demonstrations
The Shamrock Group will entertain attendees with live ice carving demonstrations. They are a group of ice sculpture artists out of Minneapolis. The public may watch the artists transform blocks of ice into intricate sculptures – thanks to the sponsorship of 24 local businesses. The ice carvers will design sculptures that reflect the sponsors’ brands. These could be anything from a company logo to whimsical representations of their services. One year, VIP Pizza had a slice of pizza sculpture. Each ice sculpture gets delivered to their business on the Friday before the event and sits out in front of their business.
“It draws people in and signifies that they’re partnering with the ice festival,” said Saylor.
There is a trivia contest with a question at each ice sculpture.
Trolleys and Trivia
If you have ever watched Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood and thought you might like to ride a trolley in real life, or if you have seen tourista riding the trolley on Duluth’s Superior Street and Canal Park and thought it looked like fun, now is your chance. This year, the event includes guided trolley tours in partnership with the Duluth Transit Authority (DTA) to see the businesses’ ice sculptures.
“We realized people were losing interest in the trivia after visiting just a few sculptures,” Saylor said. “Now, attendees can sit back, relax and enjoy a scenic ride around the city, visiting each ice sculpture in a leisurely loop.”
These trolley tours will run multiple times throughout Saturday, providing a fun way to experience the festival and boosting exposure for participating businesses.
Indoor Activities
To provide warmth during the event, the Barker’s Island Inn will host a craft show. At the same time, the Estuarium will hold children’s craft sessions sponsored by the Superior YMCA.
Food Options
Eleven food trucks will participate, offering a variety of options. Attendees can also enjoy bonfires to roast marshmallows and make s’mores.
Mascots and Special Guests
The festival will welcome back its mascot, Blizzy, along with UMD’s Champ, Superior High School’s Sparty, and UWS’ Buzz the Yellowjacket.
Enchanting Princesses and Characters
Over at Fairlawn Mansion, tea parties will delight children, complete with princesses in full royal attire and other characters. Sterling Silver Studios brings these characters and princesses to life. High school and college students don vibrant costumes and engage children through sing-alongs and photo opportunities. The event fosters community spirit, allowing young performers to connect with families and inspire future generations to embrace creativity and kindness while celebrating the magic of winter.
“We love to do things like the Lake Superior Ice Festival to get those kids involved in the community,” said Carolyn Nelson-Kavajeczso. She owns Sterling Silver Studio. Her students learn to give back to the community by performing as princesses and characters. Others will assist by serving as hairdressers, makeup artists, and those who help the characters navigate because their costumes might make sight. She says that the students participating in this event are learning to give back to the community by positively interacting with the children.
For more information, including parking and trolley routes, visit lakesuperioricefestival.com.
