WISCONSIN — Although it may be cold and snowy, Wisconsin offers residents plenty to do in the winter.
From ice skating to candlelit hikes, there's something for everyone to enjoy.
Ice skating
Now that the ground is frozen, many places are offering ice skating, with skates available for rental at respective locations.
Green Bay
Ice skating is available in Hy-Vee Plaza throughout the winter. Passes and skate rentals are available at the Admissions building, which is adjacent to the side of Ariens Hill. Whether you bring your own skates or rent them, you must pay the admission fee, which is $8.50 Sunday-Thursday, $10.50 Friday-Saturday, $4 on community nights and $16 on gameday. Packages for both ice skating and tubing are also available.
You can find more information on that here.
Milwaukee
Enjoy the sights of downtown on a pair of skates at Slice of Ice in Red Arrow Park. It’s $11 to rent skates for those 18 or older, $8 for those 17 and under and $7 for sharpening per pair. In January and February, you can visit the rink Monday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m., Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. However, rentals sometimes begin later than the rink opens. Check hours and find more info here.
Madison
The Edgewater Ice Rink in Madison comes complete with surrounding firepits and a pizza restaurant. Keep an eye on the website for special skate nights. It’s open Wednesday through Friday from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., Saturday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Skate trainers are available for individual use for new skaters or for young children. Skate rentals are $3 each. It is recommended you buy tickets for a 60-minute time slot before going. You can do that, here.
Tubing
Green Bay area
In addition to ice skating, Titletown also hosts tubing on Ariens Hill. It’s $8.50 for daily unlimited tubing on Sunday-Thursday, $10.50 for daily unlimited tubing on Friday-Saturday, $4 on community nights and $16 on gameday (single ride only). You can also purchase skating and tubing combined packages as well as other tubing packages. Tickets cannot be purchased online at this time and hours can be found online.
Milwaukee area
Crystal Ridge in Franklin offers tubing weeknights and weekends. During weeknights, tickets start at $18, while on the weekends, it starts at $27 for a two-hour experience. Glow tubing is one of the more unique features of this hill. When the lights turn off on select Saturdays in January, the hill is lit up with colored lights with music. That starts at $35.
While Sunburst Ski Area is a little outside of Milwaukee, it’s got over 40 chutes, a 90-foot-drop and speeds up to 30mph. It’s open from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Tuesday through Thursday, from 9:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Sunday. Tickets online are $20 for all day on Tuesday through Thursday and $25 for two hours on the weekends. Prices increase at the window. Find more info here.
Madison area
Cascade Mountain in Portage is one of the bigger, closer ski hills in the area for tubing. With a snowy, 900-feet long shoot, it’s sure to be an exciting, thrilling ride. However, to ride this hill to the bottom, you must pre-pay for a specific time slot. On non-peak days, it’s $30 for those 7 and up and $15 for those 6 and under. On peak days, it’s $42 for those 7 and up and $25 for those 6 and under. For a full list of hours, visit its website.
Cascade is partnered with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital to help in the fight against childhood cancer. For an additional $5, you can upgrade your non-peak Monday-Thursday lift ticket to the St. Jude Lift and Tube Combo. The $5 will be donated to St. Jude for cancer research. More information can be found here.
Most of these places also offer snowboarding, skiing and other fun winter activities.
Candlelit hikes
Starting Jan. 11, 2025, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources is hosting several candlelit events in parks across the Badger State.
Most will require a new Wisconsin State Park admission fee or state trail pass to get to the event.
Whether you’re walking, snowshoeing or cross-country skiing, there are a variety of ways to enjoy the candlelit events. Many of the events will also include bonfires, hot chocolate, cider and other refreshments.
Here’s the full list of events:
Jan. 11
- Wildcat Mountain State Park Candlelight Hike/Snowshoe/Ski
Jan. 18
- Rib Mountain State Park Candlelight Snowshoe Hike
- Horicon Marsh Education Center Candlelight Hike
- Kettle Moraine State Forest - Southern Unit Candlelight Ski and Hike
Jan. 19
- Havenwoods State Forest Candlelight Hike
Jan. 25
- Point Beach State Forest Candlelight Ski and Hike
- Devil's Lake State Park Candlelight Hike
- Whitefish Dunes State Park Candlelight Hike and Ski
Feb. 1
- Black River State Forest Candlelight Ski, Hike and Snowshoe
- Kettle Moraine State Forest - Northern Unit Candlelight Ski and Hike
- Mirror Lake State Park Candlelight Ski, Hike and Snowshoe
Feb. 7
- Crex Meadows Candlelight Hike
Feb. 8
- Newport State Park Candlelight Ski, Hike or Snowshoe
- Lake Wissota State Park Candlelight Ski/Hike/Snowshoe
- Governor Thompson State Park Candlelight Hike and Ski
Feb. 15
- Rib Mountain State Park Candlelight Snowshoe Hike
Feb. 21
- MacKenzie Center Candlelight Snowshoe Hike
Feb. 22
- New Glarus Woods State Park Candlelight Hike or Snowshoe and Winter Bonfire
You can visit the DNR’s Events Calendar for more information on each event.
Festivals
Although it’s a cold time of year, that doesn’t stop Wisconsin’s festival scene. There are plenty of family-friendly festivals going on throughout the season to keep residents entertained. Here’s just a glimpse of a few.
Milwaukee area
Date: Jan. 17-26
Location: Downtown Waukesha
This city-wide festival comes with fireworks, a laser light show, beer gardens, ice sculpting, toboggan sliding and more. The week-long event happens with or without snow.
Date: Feb. 15-16
Location: Downtown Cedarburg
This indoor/outdoor event happens across the downtown area. This year’s theme is Hawaii Five-3-0-1-2, named after the city's zip code. The event will include an ice sculpting contest, a luau, a soup contest and more.
Date: Jan. 25
Location: Downtown Kenosha
This annual event includes a chance for locals to come out and look at the various ice sculptures on display downtown.
Date: Jan. 11
Location: Various locations, including New Berlin Public Library, and the New Berlin City Center Plaza
New Berlin's annual Winterfest will have many family-friendly activities. Check out the ice skating, artic mini golf, join in on a candlelight hike or a snowman building contest, watch live music or enjoy some hot cocoa. Guests can also purchase a commemorative mug in advance for unlimited hot cocoa throughout the event.
Madison area
Date: Feb. 6-8
Location: Memorial Union Terrace
The winter carnival is a long-standing tradition that includes both indoor and outdoor activities, such as an ice fishing derby, curling on the lake, a snowshoe hike to picnic point, a winter photo booth with mini horses and so much more.
Date: Jan. 29-Feb. 2
Location: Various locations in Sun Prairie
The multiple-day event has an ice carving contest, a pancake breakfast, a night at the ice rink, a candlelit hike and more.
Other areas
Date: Jan. 18
Location: Washington Square in Downtown Wausau
From a full petting zoo to ice skating and free pizza, this event has plenty for families to enjoy. It’s also just another chance for you to get outside. A day before this festival, there is also a Winter Brew Fest for those 21 and older that includes beers samples from various breweries.
Date: Jan. 31-Feb. 2
Location: Fish Creek
From Snowflake Cake Bake to the Fruit Loop Run, there is plenty to do on this weekend-long event. It’s one of Fish Creek’s longest traditions. There is also a heated tent in Clark Park for this event.
Date: Feb. 15
Location: Conover Town Park
This event includes ice bowling, slap shot hockey, horse-drawn sleigh rides, snow art, a dogsled dash and so much more. Open sledding and skating are also available all day.
*This is not a full list of winter festivals in the state. For information on festivals near you, check your local city website or visitor's bureau.