Lansing Winterfest, an annual celebration hosted by Downtown Lansing Inc., offers free winter-themed activities each Saturday in February. The event was created in 2021 to encourage community members to get outdoors and celebrate the winter season while supporting local businesses.
“Lansing Winterfest is an incredible opportunity for our community to get better acquainted with all the incredible people and businesses that call downtown Lansing their home,” said Cathleen Edgerly, executive director of Downtown Lansing Inc. “From delicious restaurants and unique clothing stores to entertainment and museums, there’s something for everyone downtown. We have a variety of downtown businesses offering specials, extending their hours and collaborating with the Winterfest event.”
The festivities kick off 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday (Feb. 3) with the Winterfest Block Party on South Washington Square, featuring live ice sculpting, games like ice corn hole and giant Connect 4, axe throwing, performances by the Corzo Effect and the Global Village Band, s’mores and hot cocoa stations, local vendor booths and more.
The following Saturday (Feb. 10), adults can take part in the annual BrrrCrawl, which runs from 4 to 9 p.m. Participants will start at the Exchange and make their way to American Fifth Spirits, MichiGrain Distillery and Lansing Brewing Co.
Another annual event, the Riverfront Party, runs 4 to 8 p.m. Feb. 17 at Lansing Shuffle, offering live music, curling and other games, drink specials and more. It will double as a first-anniversary party for the Shuffle.
Winterfest will conclude with a Fire & Ice Soiree on South Washington Square 5 to 8 p.m. Feb. 24, featuring DJ sets by Melik Brown, aka Metro Melik 517, as well as a silent disco, ice games, drink specials and more.
“We hope that guests who can make it out to Lansing Winterfest this year not only experience new ways to enjoy and embrace winter, but also to reexplore or try for the first time the incredible businesses that make our Downtown Lansing community special,” Edgerly said.
