Break up Winter with the Fire and Ice Festival

One of the benefits of living in a small town is enjoying the multitude of festivals the city puts on through the year.  Even with it being in the middle of winter that won’t keep the city of Rochester, Michigan from putting on its annual Fire and Ice Festival.

This three-day festival is held in January and is a snow lover’s wonderland.  There is so much to do at this festival, and the crowds get quite large.  My advice is to start as early as possible that way you won’t have to wait in long lines.  Plus, make sure that the kids are bundled up because this IS an outdoor festival.  This family event has plenty of kid activities such as:

  • the awesome Tube Sledding Hill (maintained by the Rochester Fire Department)
  • Mountains of snow piles for the kids to climb
  • Ice-Skating Rink
  • Snow Shoeing and Cross-Country skiing
  • Dog Sled Rides
  • Face Painting in the warm tents
  • Roasting Marshmallows
  • Ice Sculptures viewing on Main Street
  • Carriage Rides through lovely downtown Rochester

Of course, there is something for the adults as well: the TasteFest and Beer Tent.

Dog Sledding

Fire and Ice FestivalOne of the big draws for the crowd is the Dog Sled Rides.  The key to ensuring that everyone gets a ride is to sign up for the earliest time slots available.  As the day gets going so, does the lines, and they can only give so many rides a day.Fire and Ice FestivalFire and Ice FestivalFire and Ice Festival

Ice Sculptures

Don’t forget to walk down Main Street to see the impressive Ice Sculptures.  From alumni from Michigan Tech, I can tell you that there is a lot of time and effort that goes into creating these masterpieces.

Fireworks

The highlight of the festival is the dramatic fireworks display that goes off Friday and Saturday nights.  For those who stay the whole day or for those that come back just for the fireworks, it is a great ending for a cold but, the jam-packed filled day of fun, snow, fire, and ice!

I hope to see you at the Fire and Ice Festival!

No Comments

Leave a Comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Shares