Courtesy Photo Alpena Community College Art+Design student Samantha Freske was chosen by the Thunder Bay Arts Council Board of Directors to represent ACC during the upcoming Alpena Ice Fest. Freske is currently a student in Design II: 3-D, a foundational art and design course exploring three-dimensional form. Freske’s winning entry, an entwined, spiraling fish jumping into the water, will be on display from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday at Mich-e-ke-wis Park.

ALPENA — Family-friendly February fun is set for Saturday in Alpena, as the Alpena Ice Fest returns to Mich-e-ke-wis Park in the morning and early afternoon and downtown in the late afternoon and evening.

The Alpena Farmers Market is open with extended hours during Ice Fest from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, 1302 State Ave. in Alpena.

Alpena Ice Fest will kick off at 11 a.m. at Mich-e-ke-wis Park, presented by Thunder Bay Arts and supported by First Congregational United Church of Christ Comstock Grant and Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union.

Festivities will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Mich-e-ke-wis, and from 4 to 9 p.m. in downtown Alpena, no matter what the weather.

Thunder Bay Arts Gallery will also host a Featured Artists’ Reception from 5-7 p.m. Stop by and enjoy the amazing art of the gallery artists and free refreshments. All events are free and open to the public.

At Mich-e-ke-wis, professionally carved ice sculptures will be on display all day at the ALPENA Letters Sculpture, including sculptures inspired by event sponsors and local student artists, including Alpena Community College Art+Design student Samantha Freske.

New this year is a graffiti ice wall courtesy of Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union, in which people can etch words or pictures into ice.

Again this year will be a huge bonfire courtesy of our very own City of Alpena Fire Department and free s’mores courtesy of Thunder Bay Arts Council.

There will also be an Ice Train photo op at the ALPENA Letters Sculpture, courtesy of the Alpena Convention and Visitors Bureau; dueling ice sculptors by Ice Creations of Napoleon, Ohio at noon; and local sculptor and restaurateur Jimmy Chen carving ice live on site at 1 p.m.

Family fun activities will take place throughout the day regardless of the weather, including snow sledding on the hill courtesy of the City of Alpena. Bring your sled and go for it! There will be an ice sled for kids, and Elsa from Frozen will be there with music by the fire from 1 to 2 p.m.

Horse and wagon rides will be available, courtesy of Dan Kirchner, and Siberian Husky sled dogs for petting and demonstrations will be on hand, courtesy of Jessica Hatch and “Gone to the Snow Dogs.”

Fat Freddies Food Truck will be on site with Tony burgers and more. There will also be music and giveaways.

Then at 4 p.m., head downtown for Fire & Ice Downtown Alpena events, supported by Nicolet Bank and Wolverine State Credit Union.

Nicolet Bank’s feature sculpture will be displayed at Culligan Plaza and nearly 40 professionally carved sculptures will be stationed to view downtown, courtesy of local community organizations and business sponsors.

An Ice Throne will again be at Culligan Plaza, courtesy of the Alpena Convention and Visitors Bureau and Alpena Downtown Development Authority.

Alpena’s Winter Carnival Exhibit will be on display at Alpena County Library during regular library hours, and Elsa and Olaf from Frozen will be reading to kids from 3 to 4 p.m. at Alpena County Library.

A Fire & Ice feature sculpture will be stationed at Culligan Plaza, courtesy of Community Foundation of Northeast Michigan. Fire bowls will be located throughout downtown to make your own s’mores and warm up, courtesy of Wolverine State Credit Union.

To make it even more fun, you can participate in a scavenger hunt of the downtown sculptures with a drawing for $100 Downtown Dollars, courtesy of the DDA.

Downtown businesses will have extended store hours with specials throughout downtown until 7 p.m.

There will be themed Fire & Ice cocktails at downtown restaurants and bars, including an ICE Bar outside the Nucleus Lounge and a Ice Wine Luge at Thunder Bay Winery.

Live music will be played, courtesy of the Alpena Street Performers from 6-8 p.m. at local businesses throughout downtown. Grab a hot chocolate or a “hot toddy” from a local restaurant and stroll the Social District downtown looking at ice sculptures while visiting the stores with extended specials.

“I think the biggest thing is just getting people to engage in their community,” said Tim Kuehnlein, Thunder Bay Arts Council second vice president. “To see our streets packed with people at night, that was just so rewarding last year.”

He said the hustle and bustle downtown at the 2022 Ice Fest was reminiscent of Winter Carnivals of yesteryear, which brought many visitors to Alpena.

Past Winter Carnival participants and former Ice Queens wanted! If you would like to be included in this Saturday’s special about Winter Carnivals from decades past, please call Darby Hinkley at 989-358-5691. The deadline for inclusion is 5 p.m. Thursday.