8 Family-Friendly Festivals to Embrace Winter’s Magic

Celebrate Wisconsin’s snowy season with spirited events throughout the state. These fun and free outdoor family fests are sure to keep everyone in your group entertained. 

Janboree - Waukesha

This city-wide festival in late January brings visitors and locals together for some frosty fun. Families can enjoy ice sculpting, creative workshops like “build a recyclable sled,” performances, a firework show, 5K run/walk, an egg hunt and much more. With a whole week’s worth of fun, there’ll be plenty to keep the kids entertained.

Winter Fest - Wausau

Embrace the winter weather with tons of activities during this one-day winter festival in downtown Wausau. Go ice skating and try your hand at curling, then enjoy kids' ice castle building, sled dog demonstrations and free cookies for everyone!

U.S. Snow Sculpting Championship & Winterfest - Lake Geneva

With a full roster of events spanning five days, Lake Geneva’s Winterfest is certainly a celebration of the season. Your family can enjoy a hot cocoa crawl, bonfires on the beach and an ice sculpture tour, along with the ever-popular snow sculpting competition featuring teams from all across the U.S. vying to be champion.

Winter Festival - Fish Creek

Have your kids ever seen a minnow race, taken a dog sled ride or watched ice kickball? If not, they’re in luck—Fish Creek’s Winter Festival features all these activities and more. Partake in outdoor fun, then warm up in a heated tent overlooking Green Bay while you nosh on food and play wacky games (toilet seat toss, anyone?).

Northwoods Blizzard Blast - Conover

Sporty types will appreciate this fest chock-full of active endeavors. Kids can try ice bowling and archery, make nature art and enjoy pony rides. Or, take a back seat and watch snow sculpting, enjoy a horse-drawn carriage ride, check out the recliner race and cap off this fun-filled day by the bonfire.

Winter Festival - Cedarburg

Is it just us, or do freezing temps bring out the creative sides of Wisconsin towns? Cedarburg’s two-day winter fest includes barrel racing, an Ice-Burg Open Golf Tournament and a costume contest! Kids and adults will also enjoy ice-carving duels, a dog-pulling contest, a chili cook-off, tractor-drawn hayrides and a delicious pancake breakfast.

Frozen Assets Festival - Madison

This snowy celebration takes place at The Edgewater, on and off the ice of Lake Mendota. The family-friendly fest includes figure skating, a 5k run/walk on the ice, science demonstrations and the Ice and Snow Sailing World Championships!

Bayfield Winter Festival - Bayfield

With skiing, tubing, plunging into the frozen lake and much more, Bayfield (which gets more than 100 inches of snowfall annually) knows how to do winter festivals right. Locals celebrate the season with a whole weekend devoted to winter’s beauty. Check out the candlelight ski/snowshoe/hike at Howl Adventure Center or if you dare, the whitefish liver eating contest—a famous, local tradition.

Searching for a place to stay during your winter escape? Explore one-of-a-kind winter lodging in Wisconsin.