Winter in Milwaukee is a season of celebration, where the cold brings people together for creative, family-friendly fun. From ice sculpting competitions to cozy winter hikes, these festivals showcase the magic of the season.
Bundle up and explore these top winter festivals and ice sculpture events happening in and around Milwaukee this year!
Looking for even more ways to make the most of winter? Check out our ultimate list of 100 Fun Things to Do in Winter With Kids and start planning your adventures!
Cool Fool Kite Festival (Free!)
When: January 1, 2025 | Where: Veterans Park, Milwaukee
Kick off the year with colorful kites and family fun! Enjoy free hot cocoa, snacks, giant kites, and live ice carving. Bring your own kite or buy one from the Gift of Wings store. Mark your calendar for next year if you missed it!
DelaFREEZE (Free!)
When: January 11, 10 AM–3 PM | Where: Downtown Delafield
Watch ice carvers create stunning sculptures, ice skate, and warm up with hot cocoa or a Bloody Mary at the ice bar. Families can enjoy crafts and scavenger hunts at the Delafield Public Library.
Winterfest in New Berlin (Free!)
When: January 11 | Where: Malone Park
Enjoy snowman-building contests, snow kickball, skating, sledding, candlelight hikes, and more. Warm up with s’mores by the fire and visit food trucks and the winter beer garden.
Waukesha Janboree (Free!)
When: January 17–26 | Where: Various Locations in Waukesha
This 10-day celebration features ice sculpting, lumberjack shows, indoor skating, a Frosty 5K, planetarium shows, and more. Some activities require registration.
West Bend Winter Warm-Up
When: January 17 (4–7 PM) and January 18–19 (10 AM–4 PM) | Where: Downtown West Bend
West Bend Winter Warm-Up
Downtown West Bend transforms into a winter wonderland during the annual Winter Warm-Up! This free, family-friendly festival features over 55 stunning ice sculptures lining the streets and Riverwalk, with a live ice sculpture demoat Old Settlers Park on Saturday at 11 a.m. Don’t miss the enchanting Luminary Walk on Saturday evening at Lac Lawrann Conservancy. Families can also enjoy free screenings of Ice Age 2 at The Bend Theater, shopping promotions, and unique festive drinks from local bars and restaurants as part of the Polar Express. For more details, visit downtownwestbend.com/west-bend-winter-warm-up.html.
West Allis Winter Week
When: January 19–25 | Where: Various Locations in West Allis
This week-long event includes scavenger hunts, trivia nights, a soup crawl, and a Taylor Swift-inspired party. Perfect for families or date nights, there’s something for everyone!
Snow Daze Festival
When: January 25, Noon–3 PM | Where: Downtown Kenosha
Ride the electric streetcar, ice skate, and marvel at ice sculptures downtown and in Veterans Memorial Park. Warm up by the fire pits with s’mores.
If you’re looking for more places to glide this winter, check out our guide to the Best Places to Ice Skate Around Milwaukee.
Lake Geneva Winterfest (Free!)
When: January 29–February 2 | Where: Riviera Plaza & Flat Iron Park, Lake Geneva
Watch 15 teams compete in America’s Snow Sculpting Invitational. Celebrate with bonfires, live entertainment, and special activities during this 30th anniversary event.
Urban Ecology Center Winterfest (Free!)
When: February 1 | Where: Washington Park, Milwaukee
Celebrate the reopening of the Washington Park branch with sledding, carriage rides, winter hikes, and more. Warm up by the campfire with drinks and enjoy this free, community-centered event.
The Urban Ecology center locations are home to some great sledding hills for families. Find more sledding hills around Milwaukee. And for even more outdoor fun, explore our list of the Best Places to Go Snowshoeing Around Milwaukee.
Winter Break Milwaukee
Bradford Beach: Saturday, February 8, 2025, 12 PM–4 PM
Havenwoods State Forest: Saturday, February 15, 2025, 12 PM–4 PM
Free!
Embrace the season at Winter Break Milwaukee, a free family-friendly winter festival that’s all about enjoying the great outdoors, no matter the weather. Returning for its second year with expanded dates and locations, this festival promises exciting activities for all ages.
Highlights include fat tire bike rides with Wheel & Sprocket, winter surfing lessons from High 5 Surfing, nordic walking, and dog sled demonstrations. Families can also enjoy tea-tasting classes with Tootsies Teas, a cold dip challenge, free hot cocoa, and cozy bonfires with s’mores. Snowy conditions unlock even more fun, like snowshoeing and snow sculpting competitions.
Warm up with N/A Old Fashioneds available for purchase, and don’t forget to bundle up—this festival happens rain, snow, or shine!
Flannelpalooza
Celebrate National Flannel Day at Flannelpalooza on Saturday, Feb. 8, from 10 a.m.–5 p.m. on Harwood Avenue in Wauwatosa. Enjoy axe throwing, ice carving, a beard contest, a pub crawl, local food, drinks, vendors, and more.
Event highlights include:
- Best Dressed Dog Contest: 12 p.m.
- Ice Carving Demo: 1–2:30 p.m.
- Beard Contest: 2:30 p.m.
Winter Festival in Cedarburg
When: February 15–16 | Where: Downtown Cedarburg
This classic festival features ice sculpting, bed races, food trucks, a soup contest, a chili competition, and a pancake breakfast. Don’t miss outdoor fun like iceberg golf and the dog pull contest!
Winter Carnival at the Lynden Sculpture Garden
When: January 25th | Where: 2145 W. Brown Deer Rd., Milwaukee, WI 53217
Lynden welcomes winter with a day of outdoor art-making, scavenger hunts, tree-walks, workshops, and whatever other winter activities the weather permits – ice skating, painting the pond, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and more!
TBD for 2025
- Mequon Nature Preserve Winter Frolic
Enjoy sleigh rides, s’mores, and snowshoeing while exploring the preserve. - Boerner Botanical Gardens Winterfest
Take a guided winter walk and enjoy cozy indoor activities at this family-friendly event. - Winterfest in Lisbon
- Canceled for 2025: Lake Geneva Ice Castles / Winter Realms
From cozy indoor fun to exciting outdoor adventures, there’s so much to explore this winter. Don’t miss our roundup of fun winteractivities to make the most of the season!
In 2013, Calie Herbst, a former teacher with three little ones, saw a need for a “One Stop Shop” for family fun in Milwaukee. So she founded Milwaukee With Kids. Her goal was to find the best this city has to offer families and share it with other parents. In one place.
In 2019, she published “Exploring Milwaukee WIth Kids”, a comprehensive Milwaukee travel guide for families and kids.
She appears regularly on WISN News, Fox 6’s ‘Real Milwaukee’, B93.3, and Wisconsin Morning News. She has been featured in Medium, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, NPR, the Wisconsin Jewish Chronicle, and on CBS 58 News.
Calie is available for hosting, moderating and media appearances.
