Handmade snow sculptures, an outdoor gallery artwalk, concerts, winter sports and food galore. The Ely Winter Festival will have guests’ heads spinning with so many things to do and see, and admission is completely free! This festival takes place over the course of ten days to celebrate all the wonderful things about winter.
This historic festival started in 1984 with the Ely Ski Club (now known as the Ely Nordic Ski Club) hosting a cross-country ski race running from Tower to Ely called the Wilderness Trek. Local businesses and craftspeople set up booths at the finish line, and soon after food and live music were added to the festivities. Slowly, volunteers helped direct more activities at the festival, and now there’s more things to do than ever before with two full weekends to explore.
Event headquarters are located at the Northern Grounds at Central Ave and Sheridan St in Ely, Minnesota where guests can purchase festival pins and t-shirts. The actual festival takes place at Whiteside Park, and includes different activities such as the amazing snow carvings and the Ely ArtWalk.
Ely Winter Festival
February 6 – 16
Whiteside Park
700 E Sheridan St.
Ely, MN 55731
Telephone: 218-365-7669
Website: elywinterfestival.com