Chill in the D: Winter Festivals in Southeast Michigan

By: Amber Ogden | January 6, 2016
In the D placeholder image

Winter has finally arrived, and while your first inclination might be to hibernate until spring, you don’t want to miss out on all that Metro Detroit has to offer during these icy months.

Starting this weekend, there are plenty of winter festivals to take advantage of throughout the coming weeks. Take a look!

Plymouth Ice Festival

Brave the cold and head to downtown Plymouth this Friday, Jan. 8 through Sunday, Jan. 10 for the 2016 Plymouth Ice Festival! The opening ceremony begins at 7 p.m. on Friday, and there will be a number of interactive ice sculptures to see.

If the temperature drops, head to the PARC Warming Station, located at the corner of Church Street and Main Street. Find the weekend’s full list of events here.

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Fire & Ice Festival

(Fire & Ice Festival, photo courtesy of Oakland County, MI)

Fire & Ice Festival

Downtown Rochester’s winter festival runs Friday, Jan. 22 through Sunday, Jan. 24. Fun for the whole family, you can enjoy winter sports like sledding, snowshoeing and cross country skiing, along with ice sculptures and fireworks. New this year is a live ice carving competition.

The festival takes place at E. Third Street and Water Street, and a shuttle is available at the local Buffalo Wild Wings to take you downtown.

Fire & Ice with Spice

Not be confused with the former, this one day festival can be found in downtown Clawson on Saturday, Feb. 13. Bring your family and friends and enjoy a chili cook-off, fire breathers, a craft tent for kids and ice sculptures.

The festival runs from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Aqua Freeze Festival

Held in St. Clair Shores, this year’s Aqua Freeze Festival is 1950s and 1960s themed. The weekend of Friday, Feb. 19 through Sunday, Feb. 21, families can take part in ice-skating, sledding and more. Don’t miss out on the Friday fish fry, chili dog lunch on Saturday or pancake breakfast on Saturday and Sunday, either!

If you’re the adventurous type, sign up for the Polar Plunge on Sunday at 2 p.m. The $25 entry fee goes towards future Aqua Freeze Festivals.

Enjoy all of the winter festivals southeast Michigan has to offer, and do your best to stay warm!

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