2014 Arctic Fever Winter Festival

As Minnesota residents, we have the privilege (duty?) to embrace winter to the fullest. The city of Shorewood started Arctic Fever eight winters ago, and the cities of Tonka Bay and Excelsior joined in to offer winter enthusiasts the three day festival. Arctic Fever will be held January 17th, 18th and 19th, providing social activities for the whole family. The snow sculpture garden event is on Friday, January 17th in the evening and features a complimentary Joey Nova’s pizza party. There will be prizes for the winning sculptures and a coloring contest for the kids during the event. Form a team and reserve your block today! Saturday, January 18th, be sure to pump up your fat tires for the Arctic Fat Fever Bike Race, sponsored by the Excelsior Brewing Company. The start and finish line will be located at the brewery with a heated tent, live music and, of course, craft beer. The fifteen mile course will cover land and ice. The dog sled rides at Freeman Park on Saturday are a favorite, according to the event chair, Susan Davis. Due to its popularity, getting there early is a good idea. While at Freeman be sure to enjoy the sleigh rides or the hot cocoa and s’mores at the big mountain bonfire. For a bit more adventure kids can try out Sugar Mountain, the giant sledding hill provided by Shorewood Public Works. Sunday, January 19th the Arctic Fever Princess Tea is calling all princesses to the Bayview Event Center. It’s a time for mothers, grandmothers and daughters to get fancy while spending time together. Young princesses will have a chance at winning an American Girl Doll. Unfortunately, registration is already over. Events are complimentary -- for more information, visit their website. Enjoy Lake Minnetonka winter!   Images via: Arctic Fever Winter Festival