The fourth of the four season water wonderland that Michigan’s Great Southwest is renowned for will spring to life from giant blocks of frozen water this weekend as downtown St. Joseph crafts its 16th Annual Magical Ice Fest presented by Silver Beach Pizza.
It all starts tomorrow, Friday, January 31st and runs through Sunday, February 2nd with ice competitions, a breathtaking Fire & Ice display and the 5K Chocolate Walk/Run among the morning-‘til-night reasons to gather family and friends and head for the frosty, fun-filled weekend.
Amy Zapal, Executive Director at St. Joseph Today, summed it up, saying, “If you need a cure for the winter blues, this is it!” She adds that local hotels turn it into a great mid-winter getaway for families with children or a romantic pre-Valentine weekend for couples.
The winter festivities start tomorrow, Friday, with professional carvers creating their artistic creations from blocks of ice on downtown streets from 5:30-7:30 pm. Visitors can also participate in the SnowBiz Scavenger Hunt, which runs through Sunday. An entry form listing all of the logo sculptures and contest details is available at the St. Joseph Today Welcome Center located at 301 State Street. Completing the hunt puts participants in the running for a $25 St. Joseph Today gift certificate good at more than 40 locations.
Immediately following the competition tomorrow, the winter night will glimmer and glow at 7:30 pm with an amazing tower of both Fire & Ice, sponsored by Shadowland on Silver Beach, at the intersection of State and Pleasant Streets in the central business district. Then from 8 pm to midnight, adults can enjoy the 10th Annual Fire and Ice Party at Shadowland on Silver Beach located at 333 Broad Street, below the bluff. The evening, for ages 18 and up, includes a cash bar, tropical martini ice luge, pizza from Silver Beach Pizza, live entertainment by 27 Productions and more. A highlight of the evening will be the Aloha Chicago Fire Performers at 9:15 and 10:30 pm. There is a $10 cover charge.
The fun continues Saturday with ice carving competitions from 8 am to 4 pm. At 9 am, runners and walkers can melt a few pounds in the 7th Annual Ice Fest 5K Chocolate Walk/Run presented by the Sunset Coast Striders. Money raised will benefit the Cycle-Re-Cycle in St. Joseph, Mich. For more information about that chip-timed event and a complete list of sponsors, click this link:
https://thedriven.net/event.race_reg/eid/37071015689?
On Saturday, event attendees will also enjoy a variety of Interactives from 11 am to 4 pm including crowd favorites the Frozen Fish Toss, Ice Bowling, the Magical Ice Throne and new this year, Frosty Tic-Tac-Toe. All Interactives will take place along State Street.
The weekend’s ice carving competition truly heats up with the 8th Annual Ice Wars from 4:30 to 6:00 pm at State and Pleasant Streets, when professional carvers will battle it out in 15-minute bouts of ice carving frenzy. The crowd will determine who wins the “best sculpture” title.
Keeping with the magical theme, magician John Dudley will perform throughout the day on Saturday. Check with the Welcome Center or the St. Joe Today website for a list of times and locations.
Silver Beach Center, at 333 Broad Street, will also add to the entertainment with its annual scoff-the-cold Waikiki Weekend. They will crank up the heat and turn the carousel house into a tropical paradise, Thursday through Sunday. Visitors are encouraged to wear their favorite island clothing and flip flops. Watch for more details at silverbeachcarousel.com.
Zapal says downtown restaurants and wineries will serve up a variety of foods and beverages to keep festival-goers warm as they do their ice sculpture tours. Many shops will also offer specials to entice downtown visitors indoors. She added that the John and Dede Howard Ice Rink at 2414 Willa Drive, will offer open skating times and skate rentals throughout the weekend for more ice fun, and adds, “Of course, the natural, wintry beauty of Lake Michigan and the St. Joseph River is magical, too.”
This year’s Interactive and Snow Biz sponsors include:
- Berrien Community Foundation
- Beaudoin Electrical Construction
- Boulevard Inn & Bistro
- Bud Distributing
- Caffe Tosi
- Cook Nuclear
- Great Lakes Eye Care
- Honor Credit Union
- Inn at Harbor Shores
- Nathan Thomas Orthodontics
- Schultz Roofing
- Shadowland on Silver Beach
- Silver Beach Carousel
- Silver Harbor Brewing Company
- Spectrum Health Lakeland
- Southwest Michigan Brew Tours
- Southwest Michigan Regional Chamber
- Southwestern Michigan Tourist Council
- The Buck Burgers & Brew
- The Livery
- The Toy Company
- The Whitcomb
- Vail Rubber
- 98.3 The Coast
- 97.5 Y-Country
- WSJM Radio
Additional sponsor support can be found at MagicalIceFest.com.
For a list of hotels and updates about this and upcoming events, visit stjoetoday.com/sleep, facebook.com/stjoetoday or call 269-985-1111.
