Celebrate winter in Wisconsin at these snowy festivals

The Statue of Liberty will be re-created as part of the city of Kenosha’s Downtown Snow Daze Festival.

The outdoor event returns to Veterans Memorial Park, 5220 Sixth Ave. at the harbor, with several ice sculptures in the park itself and many more located throughout Downtown Kenosha.

The free event is 1 to 4 p.m. on Jan. 27, with the ice sculptors from Art Below Zero creating the Lady Liberty sculpture in the park, from 1 to about 3 p.m.

Also in the park, Cub Scout Pack 533 will be handing out free scorching chocolate, starting at 1 p.m., until supplies run out.

Most importantly, “the weather is looking really favorable for Saturday,” said Kris Kochman, Kenosha’s community relations liaison person, who organizes the festival each year. The forecast calls for murky skies and highs in the mid-30s — with only a slight chance of rain.

Over the years, Snow Daze “has had all kinds of weather,” Kochman said. “One year, it was so warm, everything was melting. And it was very cold one year, when it was still held in Library Park.”

Good weather means “lots of people walking around Downtown and going into the businesses and to the park, which is what we want,” Kochman added.

Every year, Max Zuleta from Art Below Zero creates an ice carving demonstration piece during Snow Daze.

“When I mentioned the Statue of Liberty, his lit up,” Kochman said. “He’s never created a large-scale Statue of Liberty before. This will be a fun challenge for him, to create the statue using five blocks of ice.”

Lady Liberty is celebrating her 150th anniversary of being named a national treasure, Kochman added, “and it fits into our Statue of Liberty parade theme this year for the Fourth of July. Plus, I just really like the Statue of Liberty.”

Snow Daze Festival is also celebrating an anniversary: This is the 10th annual event.

“It’s been popular with the public,” Kochman said. “People are ready to get out and do something at this time of year and get rid of our cabin fever. Plus, it’s free, which is appealing to a lot of people.”

Another bonus: “Our festival is easy to get to, with plenty of free parking.”

Snow Daze visitors “can spend as little as or much time as they want,” she added. “Some people watch the ice carving demo in the park and then skate on the city’s ice rink. Other people walk or drive around Downtown and pop in and out of the businesses and get something to eat while seeing the ice sculptures.” 

There will be a handful of sculptures in the park and several more at local businesses and venues like the Kenosha Public Museum, 5500 First Ave., which will have a Tyrannosaurus rex sculpture.

“We’re really pleased so many businesses participate,” Kochman said. “At this time of year, people get cabin fever. It’s a great reason to bundle up and come Downtown. 

Another big attraction during Snow Daze is the city’s ice skating rink in Veterans Memorial Park, which is free and open for skating, from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Free skates can be borrowed from the Skate Hut.

Start hunting: You can find a list of the ice sculptures at visitkenosha.com/snowdaze. Sculptures can be found, starting at noon Saturday.

Take a ride: The Downtown electric streetcar will be running from 10:35 a.m. to 6:15 p.m. Saturday, offering FREE rides all day.

Snow Daze is presented by the City of Kenosha and Visit Kenosha, with support from area businesses and the Downtown Lakeshore Business Improvement District. Some of the participating businesses have Snow Daze specials, which can be found at visitkenosha.com/snowdaze.

LAKE GENEVA — Lake Geneva’s Winterfest is Jan. 31 through Feb. 4 in Flat Iron Park on the lakefront, and various Downtown Lake Geneva locations.

The 29th annual Winterfest features the snow sculptures that serve as the festival’s centerpiece, along with other events, including a downtown ice sculpture tour and bonfires on the beach.

The snow sculpting: The snow sculptures, created for the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition, can be viewed on the lakefront near the Riviera Ballroom. The action starts Wednesday, Jan. 31, when the 8-foot-by-9-foot snow blocks are built and 15 snow-sculpting teams from across the U.S. start sculpting.

Fifteen teams, including three from Wisconsin, will face off in the competition.

All sculpting must be completed by 1 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 3. The final sculpture must fit within a 12-foot circle; height is optional. Nothing other than snow, ice or water may be used. Competitors can only use the snow available on site. Colorants are not allowed. The only tools the teams can use are an ice chopper, snow saw, chisel and machete.

The final pieces are judged by the competitors themselves (based on creativity, technique and message). The National Championship Awards Ceremony in the historic Riviera Ballroom is 3 p.m. Feb. 3.

The public can get in the action through People’s Choice Award voting, open from 10 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 3, through 3 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 4. The snow sculpting competition is free to attend. You can find details online at visitlakegeneva.com/winterfest/

Ice Sculpture Walk: Some 45 hand-carved ice sculptures will line the streets of Downtown Lake Geneva Thursday through Sunday, Feb. 1-4, and remain on display as long as the cold weather permits.

Bonfires on the Beach: From 4 to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday, Feb. 2-3, visitors can gather around bonfires (or duck into the warming tent) on Riviera Beach. Admission is free, and there will be performances at 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. by Fox Valley Fire Arts. S’mores, hot chocolate and other refreshments will be available for purchase.

Getting around: This is a free festival and brings huge crowds to Lake Geneva. Parking will be challenging to find. A better option is to ride the free shuttle, operating on Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 3-4. Shuttles run from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. both days, picking up and dropping off riders about every 20 minutes between stops. Pickup locations are at the Park-n-Ride lot, at Sheridan Springs Road and Edwards Boulevard (north of Highway 50 near Servpro) and Home Depot, 550 N. Edwards Blvd. (north of Highway 50). The shuttle drops off passengers at the U.S. Bank, 303 Center St. in Downtown Lake Geneva.

SOMERS — Hawthorn Hollow Nature Sanctuary and Arboretum, 880 Green Bay Road, is hosting a a “Frosty Frolic” event for couples from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 10.

To celebrate Valentine’s Day, Hawthorn Hollow invites participants to “follow the luminaries on a walk through the woods with your special someone.”

Participants will check in at the Nature Center before embarking on a self-guided, candlelit night hike.

“We welcome you to stop and toasty up during the hike at various campfire locations throughout the trails,” organizers said.

This is a 1.5 mile, self-guided experience. Trails may be snowy, icy, or muddy. Participants should dress for the weather. (Note: This event is weather-dependent and may be canceled. Participants will be contacted if this is the case.)

The cost is $35 per couple (or $30 for Friends of Hawthorn Hollow) and includes a trail map, flashlight, treat box, bonfire and hot cocoa. Pre-registration is required.

To sigh up for this event, go to hawthornhollow.org.