Winter is where we shine, Milwaukee. When you summon up the strength to brave the cold, head to one of these *free* winter festivals to warm you up on the inside and out.
1. Cool Fool Kite Festival
January 1, 2023
Gift of Wings Kite Store in Veterans Park1300 N. Lincoln Memorial Dr., Milwaukee, WI 53202
(414) 273-5483
giftofwings.com
(This event happened already – mark your calendars for next year!)
This free annual kite festival held on New Year’s Day offers free hot cocoa and coffee, snacks, giant kites, ice artists, ice carving lessons, and hot food for purchase. You can bring your own kite to fly or purchase one at Gift of Wings.
2. Winterfest at the Boerner Botanical Gardens
January 29th, 2023 from 10:00 – 2:00
9400 Boerner Dr., Hales Corners, WI 53130
(414) 525-5600
boernerbotanicalgardens.org
Cure your cabin fever with winter nature walks, indoor & outdoor activities, hot drinks and FREE family fun! There will be seasonal kids’ crafts, learning about winter trees and animal tracking, and the opportunity to create a sugar “ice” sculpture. Take advantage of free admission and free Educator-led family winter nature walks.
3. Waukesha Janboree
January 13-22, 2023
janboree.org
Get it? “January” and “Jamboree” are combined to create “Janboree”! This epic event opens with a special ceremony that includes a dance, live music, and fireworks outside on the Fox River. Activities throughout the weekend include ice sculpting demonstrations, a pancake breakfast, trolley rides, ice bocce ball, indoor ice skating at Eble Arena, ice fishing clinics, horse-drawn wagon rides, stargazing planetarium shows, nature activities, and more!
4. Winterfest at the Urban Ecology Center
Saturday, February 4th, 2023 from 10:00-2:00
Washington Park
1859 N. 40th St., Milwaukee, WI 53208
urbanecologycenter.org
Celebrate winter, friends, and family at Washington Park! If there’s snow, there will be sledding and ice skating on the Washington Park lagoon. If the snow’s a no-show, you can enjoy guided nature walks. Regardless of the weather you can do arts and crafts, face painting, and more. See you outdoors!
5. Winter Carnival at the Lynden Sculpture Garden
Saturday, January 28th, 2023 from 10:00 – 4:00
2145 W. Brown Deer Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53217
Visit Website
Lynden welcomes winter with a day of outdoor art-making, scavenger hunts, tours and tree-walks, and whatever other winter activities (ice skating, painting the pond, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing) the weather permits. Orchestrated by Emmanuel Guerra, this highly participatory, artist-driven carnival offers something for everybody.
6. Winter Frolic at the Mequon Nature Preserve
February 4th, 2023
8200 W. County Line Rd., Mequon, WI 53097
mequonnaturepreserve.org
Head to the Mequon Nature Preserve for a free festival that includes s’more making stations, tractor rides, fire trucks, ice fishing, bonfires, snowman building, food trucks, and more.
7. Winter Festival in Cedarburg
February 18, 2023
W63 N641 Washington Ave., Cedarburg, WI 53012
Visit Website
Cedarburg is magical in the winter, and outdoor fun abounds at their Winter Festival. Enjoy a winter weekend of family-fun festivities.
Festivals of Cedarburg will celebrate the “The Wild West” themed Winter Festival from 8am to 9pm on Saturday, February 18, 2023, and 8am to 3pm on Sunday, February 19, 2023. This two-day Wild West-filled festival will feature an Ice Carving Contest, barrel races, Cedarburg’s famous “costumed bed-races on ice,” camel rides, outdoor activities and much more, including a Saturday night, family friendly, Battle of the Bands Hoedown Showdown.
Festivities will take place throughout the heart of Cedarburg on Washington Avenue. For those ready to get outside and test their endurance, camel rides, sledding, ice skating, golfing, parades or dog pulls might be in order. Indoor fun includes chili cook-offs, music, merchant activities, and shopping.
Calie Herbst, Editor-in-Chief of Milwaukee With Kids, has spent over a decade combining her experiences as a parent of three to create a hub for Milwaukee’s family adventures.
Her decade-long teaching career in Milwaukee Public Schools and academic background, including a Master’s in Teaching from Marquette University and dual B.A.s in Sociology and Spanish from the University of Wisconsin – Madison, fuel her passion for inclusive and engaging family content.
Calie is also a recognized voice in local media, contributing to WISN Channel 12 News, WTMJ Wisconsin Morning News, Fox 6’s Real Milwaukee, and B93.3.
Discover more about Calie’s journey and editorial approach on her About Page and Editorial Policy Page.
