While there were thousands of comments on social media over the remarkably spring-like weather at the front end of this weekend, St. Joe Today organizers were just happy that this wasn't the weekend for their Magical Ice Festival. Mother Nature has a couple of weeks to get her house back in order and start acting like the winter most expect if there's going to be a traditional 13th Annual Magical Ice Fest on February 3rd, 4th and 5th in downtown St. Joseph.
The community is increasingly renowned as a four-season water wonderland with Lake Michigan and nearby rivers and inland lakes. But this time of year the city’s focus turns to frozen water during its 13th Annual Magical Ice Fest presented by Silver Beach Pizza, February 3-5. Certified ice competitions, a breathtaking Fire & Ice display and 5K Chocolate Walk/Run are just some of the morning-‘til-night reasons to bring family and friends to what they hope will be a frosty, fun-filled weekend.
Brian Smith, interim executive director and Events Manager at St. Joseph Today, summed it up, “If you need a cure for the winter blues, this is it!” He added that local hotels with pools turn it into a great mid-winter getaway for families with children, and other cozy lodgings make it a romantic pre-Valentine weekend for couples.
The winter festivities are slated to begin on Friday with professional carvers creating their artistic creations from blocks of ice on downtown streets from 5:30-7:30pm. Visitors can also participate in the Snow Biz 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, 301 State Street. Completing the hunt puts participants in the running for a St. Joseph Today gift certificate good at more than 40 locations.
Immediately following the competition on Friday, the winter night will glimmer and glow at 7:30pm with an amazing tower of both Fire & Ice, sponsored by Fairfield Inn & Suites, at State and Pleasant Streets. Then from 8pm til midnight, adults can enjoy the 7th Annual Fire and Ice Party at Shadowland Ballroom 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 music from Joshua and Jeremy Sprague and more. A highlight of the evening will be the Barefoot Hawaiian Fire Performers at 9 and 10:30pm. There is a $10 cover charge.
The fun continues Saturday with certified ice carving competitions from 8am to 4pm. At 9am, runners and walkers can melt a few pounds in the Fourth Annual Ice Fest 5K Chocolate Walk/Run presented by the Sunset Coast Striders. Money raised will benefit My Team Triumph in St. Joseph. For more information about this chip-timed event and a complete list of sponsors, visit https://thedriven.net/event. race_reg/eid/7167013457.
The weekend’s ice carving competition truly heats up with the Fifth Annual Ice Wars from 4:30 to 6:00pm at State and Pleasant Streets. 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. Plus guests of all ages are encouraged to take a magical photo on a throne of ice at the corner of Pleasant and State sponsored by the Silver Beach Center.
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.
Smith said 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. He added that the John and Dede Howard Ice Rink, 2414 Willa Drive, will offer open skating times and skate rentals throughout the weekend for more ice fun. He says, "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 the following:
- Beaudoin Electrical Construction
- Celebration Cinema
- City of St. Joseph
- Comfort Suites – Stevensville
- Edgewater Bank
- Fairfield Inn & Suites
- Great Lakes Eye Care
- Holt Bosse
- Honor Credit Union
- InCity Magazine
- Jimmy John’s
- Lake Michigan College
- Lakeland Health
- The Livery Microbrewery
- MedExpress
- Schultz Roofing Supply
- Silver Beach Carousel
- Silver Beach Center
- Silver Harbor Brewing
- South Bend International Airport
- Vail Rubber.
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.
St. Joseph Today, a membership-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, is dedicated to developing and promoting events and businesses in St. Joseph and its surrounding communities. For more information about upcoming events, visit stjoetoday.com or facebook.com/stjoetoday.
