Latest news with #MinnesotaIceFestival
Yahoo
20-02-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Minnesota Ice Festival adds extra weekend to 2025 season
By late February, the silver linings of winter's relentless chill are few. However, the Minnesota Ice Festival has added an extra weekend to its winter festivities with more cold temperatures in the forecast. The festival, located at Viking Lakes in Eagan, will be open Feb. 21 to 23, offering reduced-price tickets for the three bonus days of icy fun. While it's cold enough to keep the ice gates open, the Minnesota Ice Festival website recommends visitors don winter boots, as there are slushy conditions around the grounds. The festival is home to the world's largest ice maze — a Guinness-certified record set on its opening day — as well as ice sculptures, food trucks, and other winter activities. Tickets for the weekend are buy-one-get-one-free regardless of the ticket type and cost $30. Additional adults can be added for $20 per person. Kids 4 and under are free. The festival will be open from 4–10 p.m. on Feb. 21, 11 a.m.–10 p.m. on Feb. 22, and 11 a.m.–9 p.m. on Feb. 23, when it will shut down for the season.
CBS News
30-01-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Winter event organizers adjusting to recent warmup
MINNEAPOLIS — The record challenging warmth and lack of natural snow is impacting several winter events scheduled this week. The Minnesota Ice Festival at TCO Stadium in Eagan is laying down special tarp to preserve as much ice as possible. "People like to touch the ice and actually experience it. And by putting these UV tarps over everything, it's like an insurance package to ensure we can be open a couple more weeks after this," said Robbie Harrell, Founder & CEO of Minnesota Ice. The festival will be closed Thursday, but open again Friday with fireworks, and one of the largest ice sculpting competitions in the country. "We've got ice sculptors coming in from all the way over in Europe and throughout the United States. We've got judges coming in from Canada. It's really a big opportunity for the ice sculptors to showcase their art. We're giving them 25 blocks of ice," Harrell said. Over in Theo Wirth Park, the warmth hasn't stopped the cross-country skiers. But it has been a challenge for the Loppet Foundation, forcing them to change the route for this weekend's races. "The only races that will be affected are longer skis, they'll now be five kilometer loops. But other than that, a lot of our events will continue as planned, because so much of it is based from the park originally," said Meghan Cosgrove, the Loppet's Executive Director. She says the uncooperative weather is just something her team has to anticipate from the start. But she said the course is ready to go -- snow or shine. "Being rooted here in Wirth is special in and of itself, and now everyone can be at the events together, so there's a bigger community feel to it, in a sense," said Cosgrove. Harrell said more than 30,000 guests have already visited the ice festival and they'll plan to keep it open as long as the weather allows. For any additional changes, or to buy tickets for the ice festival, visit their website. The latest on the Loppet can be found here.
