2021 Lake Superior Ice Festival Takes Shape Despite Pandemic

SUPERIOR, Wis.– The weekend of the 2021 Lake Superior Ice Festival is upon us.

Preparations are underway for the festival out in Superior. With a whole list of the classic events set to go on.

The statuses of many events have been in doubt because of the pandemic. But the Superior tradition is ready to go in 2021.

“There’s a lot of interest brewing on social media and around town,” said Ryan Feldbrugge, who was on the planning committee for the Lake Superior Ice Festival.

Along with games like a snowshoe obstacle course and the Scandinavian winter game of kubb, ice sculptures will be up at barker’s island and businesses around Superior.

The Lake Superior and Midwest ice racing associations will both be holding races on the ice Saturday. Whipping around the snow and ice on motorbikes and ATVs, spectators can also meet racers throughout the day.

“It’s just a really fun way to involve businesses around the community and its part of a trivia contest as well,” said Feldbrugge.

Participants are encouraged to mask up, give everyone a good amount of space, and follow other health protocols.

“There’s going to be a lot more protocols in place in terms of movement of traffic around the island,” said Feldbrugge.

But organizers say they still want it to feel like a classic ice festival.

“I think it’s going to be a pretty normal ice festival, lots of fun to be had,” said Feldbrugge. “I think it’s going to mean a lot to the superior community and surrounding communities to have an event like this happen. A lot of things have been cancelled over the last year and so being able to pull off an ice festival like this is going to a morale boost for a lot of folks.”

David and Kathy Erie came up from midway to get an up-close look at the “cool” sculptures Friday afternoon.

“I think it’s great,” said Kathy. “We can’t beat it.”

Besides checking out the arctic art, the Erie’s love watching games of kubb and motorists fly around on the ice. Then they are hoping to be capping it off watching fireworks.

“Oh it’s nice, it’s nice. I wish it would be a little warmer,” laughed Kathy. “It’s wonderful, it’s wonderful.”

“It’s nice to be able to get outside, getting fresh air, get some people and interaction and not be cooped up,” said David.

No matter how many people come through the ice festival Saturday, organizers hope it can bring their spirits up during the pandemic while the temperature stays low.

“It’s going to feel normal, it’s going to give folks a sense of normalcy and a sense of comfort and that ya know things are likely to get a little bit better,” said Feldbrugge.

The full set of activities will start Saturday morning at 9 a.m. and ending with fireworks show that night. For a full list of activities, click here.