People who live in the lakes region of
This year’s event was held Friday and Saturday, Jan. 5-6, at Breezy Point on the shores of magnificent
Ice Fest is geared to entertain the entire family. Horse-drawn wagon rides, figure skating, hockey, face painting, and ice fishing kept young and old alike moving throughout the day.
Those ready for a break could grab a hot cider or bratwurst from the heated concession stand operated by a group of
For the daring, helicopter rides were available that gave riders an aerial tour around
“The purpose of Ice Fest is to get people outside and have a little fun,” said Dave Gravdahl, general manager of Breezy Point Resort and one of the originators of Ice Fest.“Our first event was held in 1994 after some us in the Chamber of Commerce began developing our idea for a way to celebrate winter fun. This year’s chairman, Mike Wiebolt, owner of Pelican Square Market in
While many activities are fun for kids, there are plenty of activities to keep adults entertained, especially after the sun goes down. A karaoke contest is held dockside at Breezy Point both Friday and Saturday evenings, followed by live entertainment in the resort’s Marina Lounge and the neighboring Commander Bar and Primetime Food and Spirits.
Unfortunately, due to the unseasonably warm weather and poor ice conditions, both the ice auger competition and the snowmobile races were cancelled this year. Breezy Point’s Ice Fest is the home of the World Ice Auger Competition, a contest that pits contestants and their highly modified ice augers against each other to see who could punch through the ice the fastest. A muscle powered division also exists for the old school ice fishers out there.
The weekend celebration culminated Saturday night with an ice dance at the Marina Lounge and a huge fireworks display over the frozen waters of
Enjoying all of
Frank Zaworski is a freelance writer based out of Menahga MN
Photo by Frank Zaworski
