Here are 13 festivals that will cure your Wisconsin winter blues
Winter can be long and grueling in Wisconsin, but communities across the state are finding ways to embrace the season.

Winter in Wisconsin can be a long season. By February, the frigid temperatures, snow and ice can start to get old, and the cabin fever starts to kick in. But communities across the state have found ways to embrace the season, hosting festivals and events to get Wisconsinites outdoors.
From ice carving and snow shoeing races to hot air balloons and outdoor wine tasting, here are 13 festivals to mark on your calendar this winter.
Winter Carnival at Wisconsin Union, Madison — Feb. 6-8
If you’ve ever wanted to take a picture with the top half of the Statue of Liberty’s head on a frozen lake, the Wisconsin Union Winter Carnival in Madison is for you. This three-day festival features ice activities such as skating and broomball on Lake Mendota, as well as sledding, carriage rides, music and food. The event is family-friendly and is open to community members, students and visitors alike.
Luck Winter Carnival — Feb. 6-8
The small northwestern town of Luck will host a three-day family-friendly winter festival. Kids can participate in a snowman-building contest, and there will be a book sale, a torchlight parade, a medallion hunt and more.
Lake Arrowhead SnoBlast Celebration, Nekoosa — Feb. 7-9
Kicking off with a Friday night fish fry buffet, the SnoBlast Celebration in Nekoosa will be a quintessential winter weekend in Wisconsin. Located at the Lake Arrowhead Clubhouse, the three-day festival will include live music and ice sculptures, and both indoor and outdoor family-friendly activities, from face painting to a “penguin” egg hunt, a winter take on an Easter egg hunt.
Hot Air Affair, Hudson — Feb. 7-9
Hot air balloons might not seem like something you’d spot during winter in Wisconsin, but they will be in Hudson. The Hot Air Affair event features a fleet of hot air balloons that dot the sky above the winter festival, which includes a torchlight parade, craft fair, beverage crawl and more.
Sturgeon Spectacular, Fond du Lac — Feb. 7-9
This year Fond du Lac will host its 10th annual Sturgeon Spectacular, a February event that celebrates winter and “really big fish,” according to its website. The event is home to a snow-sculpting competition and a contest for who can spear the biggest sturgeon. There will also be curling and activities for all-ages.
Scandihoovian Winter Festival, Mount Horeb — Feb. 8-9
The village of Mount Horeb will honor its roots with its Scandihoovian Winter Festival, where attendees don pointy red hats, said in Scandinavian folklore to be worn by household spirits. The festival will feature snow sculptures, frozen turkey bowling, Norwegian kids’ games, an adult spelling bee, a fat-tire bike race and more.
Fire & Ice Festival, Sturgeon Bay — Feb. 14-15
Ice is at the center of Sturgeon Bay’s annual Fire & Ice Festival. The event features ice carving and an ice-harvesting demonstration, where attendees can see how ice was once harvested in Sturgeon Bay in the 1800s for refrigeration. There will also be a candle-lit hike, an indoor winter market, and free trolley rides during the festival.
Book Across the Bay, Ashland — Feb. 15
Ski or snowshoe across Lake Superior under starlight at this festival in Ashland. Book Across the Bay is open to skiers and snowshoers of all ages and skill levels. They’ll race on a 10-kilometer candlelit course across the ice. There will also be a kids’ race, live music, drinks and food.
Cedarburg Winter Festival — Feb. 15-16
Cedarburg’s annual Winter Festival is Hawaii-themed this year. In addition to a luau, the festival will also host an ice-carving event, scavenger hunt, soup contest, and a bed race, where contestants will race on frozen Cedar Creek on sleds made from bed frames.
Flannelfest, Janesville — Feb. 22
Get lost in a sea of flannel at this craft beer festival in Janesville. There will be over 90 craft beers for attendees to sample, as well as a cornhole tournament, a homebrew competition, food vendors and more.
Frozen Tundra Wine Fest, Sturgeon Bay — Feb. 22
Enjoy a glass of wine outdoors at Door 44 Winery’s Frozen Tundra Wine Fest. This festival is held completely outdoors, and in addition to food and drinks, there will also be live music, ice carving, a barrel-rolling competition and raffle prizes.
World’s Longest Weenie Roast, Cable — Feb. 28-March 1
This late-winter event in the Northwoods is exactly like it sounds: thousands of snowmobilers on the ice of Lake Namakagon roasting a record-long line of hot dogs. There will also be ice bowling and snowmobile speed runs, and money will be raised to support local EMTs, firefighters and other area charities.
Buergbrennen, Belgium — March 1
By March, you may be ready to kiss winter goodbye. In that case, head to the village of Belgium to celebrate Buergbrennen, a Luxembourgish tradition that the community celebrates each year to honor its connections to Luxembourg and to bid farewell to winter. The main event is the lighting of a bonfire to burn away winter, but there will also be food, crafts and other vendors throughout the evening.