11 Winter Festivals You Should Experience at Least Once

We found the coolest celebrations the country has to offer.

By Allison Sutcliffe September 22, 2017

Your little snow bunny doesn’t get the winter blues. Instead, he’s all about making the most of the season’s white-stuff bounty. We couldn’t agree more! That’s why we’ve rounded up the coolest winter fests the country has to offer so you can get your snow, sled, ski and polar plunge fixes in all season long. Flip through to find a winter wonderland celebration near you!

Polar Fest – Detroit Lakes, Mi – Feb. 8-19, 2018

Held in Detroit Lakes, Michigan, the 22nd Annual Polar Fest is a nice bonus to a ski vacation at Detroit Mountain. After they test their shredding skills at Scheels Terrain Park—part of the 200-acre ski and snowboarding recreation area—they can try their hand at ice fishing, ice tee golf, snowshoeing or skating. Then it’s on to Polarpalooza: a live music, snow sculpting, snowman building extravaganza. The Littles should be on the lookout for Polar Pete, the polar bear mascot. He can be found making s'mores, skating, dancing and more!

Travel Tip: The actual Polar Plunge (people jumping in icy cold water to raise cash for charity) happens on the last day of the festival.

Online: polarfest.com

photo: Polar Pete’s Facebook

Do you have a favorite winter festival to share with us? Which one do you want to visit? Let us know in the Comments below!

— Allison Sutcliffe & Gabby Cullen