Burning Snowman to light up Port Clinton night on Feb. 25

PORT CLINTON - Next weekend, a unique annual tradition takes place to the north coast — where thousands will gather to drink craft beer, listen to live entertainment, watch ice carving and burn a 25-foot snowman on the beach.

Since 2015, the annual Burning Snowman Festival has taken place on the last weekend in February, a way for locals and visitors to bid farewell to the winter in northwest Ohio.

This year the event takes place on Feb. 25 from noon until 9 p.m., all at Dock’s Beach House and Mr. Ed's on west side of Port Clinton, 252 West Lakeshore Drive.

Ages 21 and up welcome; no minors will be allowed.

Burning up for a cause

While it’s been a very mild winter by northwest Ohio standards, people are still ready to see the snowman made of a hand-welded metal frame filled with old Christmas trees go up in flames, organizer and chairperson Lenny Kromer said.

"I think people are ready to get outside, breathe in the air," Kromer said.

The Burning Snowman Festival began at Lagoon Saloon on the Portage River in 2015. While organizers expected a few hundred people to attend, a few thousand showed up.

The annual event has grown into an all-day affair, with all proceeds benefiting multiple Ottawa County charitable organizations.

This year’s event will benefit Mr. Ed's Kids for Christmas, Ottawa County Family Advocacy Center, Team VIAC and Port Clinton Police and Fire departments.

"I think we're going to hit our fundraising mark this year," Kromer said. "We raise quite a bit every year."

This year's build is all new, as the frame used last year was burned beyond use, he said. They'll fill it with old Christmas trees, doused in Crisco, candlewax and other fire-starting products.

"It's a little taller, a little wider," Kromer said. "We've got two dump trailers of trees and other bits and ends to burn. We're ready."

Entertainment aplenty

Festival entertainment is plentiful this year with multiple stages and performers lined up to rock your socks off.

Rockstead will be on the main stage from 1 to 4 p.m., followed by Hard Candy from 5 until 9 p.m. during the jam-packed official festival at Dock’s Beach House.

DJ Adubb and DJ Xipilli will be spinning tracks from noon to 9 p.m as well.

Over at Mr. Ed’s main stage, the band Our Short Years will play from 3 to 7 p.m., then Trailer Park Ninjas from 9 p.m. to midnight and DJ Adubb will keep the party going from midnight until 2 a.m.

Also on Mr. Ed’s tent stage will be the Eric Sowers Band from 4 to 7 p.m. and the Jacob Lones Band from 8 p.m. to midnight.

The Burning Snowman will be set on fire on the beach at Dock’s Beach House at about 7:30 p.m.

Family Freeze on Friday

Since the big Burning Snowman is for the adults only, organizers wanted to create a separate event for youngsters.

In 2022, they came up with a free snowman burning for people of all ages called “The Family Freeze” on the beach at Dock’s the day before the big event.

From 4 to 7 p.m. Friday, Feb. 24, The Family Freeze will feature music from DJ Adubb, live ice carving, hot cocoa, s’mores, face painting, and a fire show by the Ohio Burn Unit.

The Ohio Burn Unit are world record-holder entertainers and work on some of the top Hollywood movies, TV shows, commercials, music videos — doing stunts and special effects for eager crowds.

After the burn unit’s performance, a seven-foot snowman will be lit on fire on the beach. This year's build was done by the Port Clinton High School shop department.

What the mini snowman will look like is a mystery, Kromer said.

"It's always a surprise to us too," he said. "I go pick it up and it's great."

The festival also enlisted the Port Clinton art department and held an open call for art designs for this year's flyer.

They received more than 50 submissions, Kromer said. They narrowed it down to about a dozen and then opened it to voting online.

Port Clinton High School senior Zoey Barr's design took the crown, winning a $500 scholarship donated by Croghan Colonial Bank.

Port Clinton retailer Lateral Gig  is the official printer of the Burning Snowman Festival merchandise this year.

The official event merchandise will give directly to the community charities that the event supports.

If you go...

General admission is $25 per person and will be available at the gate, ages 21 and up only. Only presale tickets will include entry to events at Mr. Ed’s.

Parking is extremely limited but free shuttle services are available from 2 until 10 p.m., running along a loop from the festival and more than a dozen sponsoring restaurants and bars.

Over the years the event's shuttle service has grown to reach as far east as Sandusky, west to Oak Harbor, and many locations in between.

Kromer encouraged festival goers to get food and drinks from the sponsors, utilize the free shuttle service and then come to the festival for a good time.

The weather is shaping up to be the warmest yet for the festival, which Kromer believes will draw more people in.

"Every year we want it to be better, a little bigger than before," he said.

For more information visit the Burning Snowman Festival Facebook page. Tickets are available at: eventbrite.com/e/burning-snowman-2023-tickets-502646508237 .

This article originally appeared on Fremont News-Messenger: This year's Burning Snowman Festival expected to be biggest yet