News File Photo An artist from Ice Creations, out of Napoleon, Ohio, creates an ice throne at Culligan Plaza during the 2024 Alpena Ice Fest.

ALPENA — The fourth annual Alpena Ice Festival will feature a day of winter fun for all ages from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. Feb. 15.

Activities throughout the day will be held at Mich-e-ke-wis Park and in downtown Alpena.

“It’s a very similar approach to the last three years, but there are some really fun new elements that have been injected into the day of events,” said Tim Kuehnlein, vice president of Thunder Bay Arts Council, in charge of programming. “We’re seeing a whole new energy … this year, people are coming out of the woodwork. It’s really kind of exciting.”

Between Mich-e-ke-wis and downtown, the city will feature about 70 ice sculptures, all made by Ice Creations, out of Napoleon, Ohio, which has supplied the sculptures each year for Ice Fest.

“The throne will be a little different this year downtown,” Kuehnlein said, referring to a large ice throne erected each year in Culligan Plaza. He added that organizers went with a polar bear and penguin theme this year.

The event begins at Mich-e-ke-wis Park from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., with the Alpena Farmers Market inside the warming shelter, ice sculptures from Ice Creations, a huge bonfire by the Alpena Fire Department, food trucks, sledding, horse and wagon rides, and the much-anticipated Alpena Police Department vs. Alpena Fire Department broomball game from 1 to 2 p.m.

Then, at 3 p.m., the Special Olympics Polar Plunge will be held in a large pool downtown at 2nd Avenue and Water Street this year. Registration starts at 2 p.m. at Red Brick Tap and Barrel. The event will feature a 50/50 raffle, with the winning ticket drawn after the plunge awards, following the last plunger.

Polar Plunge participants dress in costume and prepare to plunge into the frigid waters for a good cause. The money raised supports local Special Olympics athletes who travel to athletic events. Organizers hope to get a great turnout this year to support athletes from northern Michigan. The statewide Polar Plunge events help raise funds for nearly 21,000 athletes who participate in Special Olympics Michigan, a year-round program offering sports for those with disabilities.

“That really is exciting, because it’s taking two very popular events in Alpena that were done at different times and different locations and using the energy to bring these things together for a larger impact,” Kuehnlein said of the Polar Plunge being held in conjunction with Ice Fest.

Activities will continue from 5 to 8 p.m. downtown. At 6:30 p.m., a special “fire and ice” sculpture will be lit on River Street near Red Brick Tap and Barrel.

Additional Ice Fest activities include a fire and ice-themed workout from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at Bay Urban, 106 River St., downtown Alpena, for a $5 drop-in fee for non-members and free to members. Ice Festival swag, including hoodies, hats, and shirts, will be available from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Alpena Farmers Market, which will also feature a free craft for children at 10:30 a.m.

New this year is the Ice Fest Winter Carnival from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at All Saints Center of Charity, with a snow angels booth, penny snow hunt, hot cocoa booth, cookie decorating activity, face painting, and more. A snowman contest will start at 10 a.m. and be judged at 2 p.m., with a prize awarded at 2:15 p.m. Then the community is invited for lunch at 2:30 p.m. in the Center of Charity’s Friendship Room.

Thunder Bay Arts Council organizes the Alpena Ice Festival. The Alpena Downtown Development Authority partners with the Arts Council, and the following sponsors have played a vital part in making the Ice Fest possible: Alpena Alcona Area Credit Union, Wolverine State Credit Union, Schulze, Oswald, Miller and Edwards, Alpena Farmers Market, the City of Alpena, Alpena County, Alpena Fire Department, and Alpena Police Department.

Kuehnlein said the Arts Council Administrative Assistant Michelle Miller has been pivotal in organizing Ice Fest, and that a “tremendous” Arts Council committee guided the planning for Ice Fest.

He is hopeful for good weather, which would be cloudy and cold.

“It’s all dependent on the weather,” Kuehnlein said. “In the last two years, we’ve had really unfortunate weather circumstances. They were melting.”

He added that sunlight can cause the ice sculptures to crystallize, so an overcast day would be ideal.

No matter the weather, though, Kuehnlein said there will be plenty of family-friendly activities throughout the day for all to enjoy.

“The beauty of it is that we can do it for free to the public and in the dead of winter, for families to not have to spend money on entertainment,” Kuehnlein said. “This is really about art, and using ice sculptures as the vehicle for helping people get out, enjoy nature, and recreate with art.”

Darby Hinkley is Lifestyles editor. She can be reached at 989-358-5691 or dhinkley@TheAlpenaNews.com.