Experience The Magic Of Ice Castles At The Fairgrounds

We're in the middle of winter in Minnesota but there are many events, festivals, sculptures and mazes to experience in the state.  Jake Juliot from Explore Minnesota joined me on WJON to examine the options.

Ice Castles & Mazes

Spicer Winterfest is a month long event that includes a polar plunge, a "Fire on Ice" dance, and a pond hockey tournament.  At the Minnesota State Fairgounds you can find ice slides and frozen waterfalls at the Ice Castles event.  It is for people of all ages and will continue through January.

Ice Bars

St. Paul's Winter Carnival has several ice carving competitions.  Rice Park's outdoor bar has Minnesota made beer and mulled wine.  You can also see live entertainment and experience local vendors.  Go to the floral ice bar at Cardamom and a similar setup at Daniel del Prado's Rand Tower Restaurant Blondette.

Downtown Rochester has Social-ICE which is considered different than the average bar experience.  The experience is held every year in Peace Plaza and has a wide assortment of themed ice bars.  Previous years included signature drinks and a DJ along with tributes to everything from the Minnesota Wild to Ghostbusters.

The Igloo Bar at Zippel Bay Resort at Lake of the Woods is a wooden structure covered with foam insulation that dragged onto the ice for anglers and anyone who wants to experience the elements with a beer.  People can fish from your bar stool or sit in a heated igloo bar.

Ice Sculptures

Downtown Stillwater is once again the location for the World Snow Sculpting Championship.  Teams from as far away as Finland, Argentina, Ecuador and Turkey to compete for a grand prize.  The Stillwater event also includes a wild rice cookoff, indoor market and warming house.