Winterfest becomes monthlong February event to draw more visitors to downtown Lansing
LANSING - Bundle up in your warmest winter coat, grab a friend and your wool gloves and scarf, and celebrate the cold outdoors throughout February in downtown Lansing.
Downtown Lansing Inc. has expanded its annual Winterfest event to take place every Saturday in February instead of just one Saturday of one particular February weekend. Jazmin Anderson, events and marketing manager, is excited about the nonprofit's full spread of events next month.
"The one-day event has had anywhere from 2,500 to 4,000 attendees and we're hoping to see people each weekend and to learn which and what days they're interested in and hanging out," she said.
Lengthening Winterfest to a monthlong celebration gives people more options to visit downtown, as opposed to the traditional single-day event that started in 2021 and also serves as another incentive for people to learn more about the small businesses in the neighborhood, Anderson said.
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Each Saturday will have a different type of affair, she said. From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 4 along Washington Square and Michigan Avenue will be fire, ice sculpture, hot cocoa and s'mores stations, a favorite of Anderson's.
On Feb. 11, from 4-8 p.m., will be an adults-only beer crawl along Shiawassee Street from MichiGrain Distillery to Lansing Brewing Company. Stops are at other bars within Lansing's social district. LBC Supervisor Melissa Swope said the brewery hasn't narrowed down exact plans for the beer crawl, but she said the site will not have a cover charge.
"Any downtown business would be happy Winterfest is expanding to give people more things to do downtown and explore, especially with the social district," she said.
From 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Feb. 18 at DLI's market sheds in Reutter Park will be an Arctic Bazaar. Anderson said AOTA Hip Hop will perform as people purchase items from small businesses and watch a Hungry, Hungry Hippo tournament. The tournament costs $25 per team with players 18 years old or older and $10 for teams under 18. Teams can register online.
Winterfest concludes 4-8 p.m. on Feb. 25 at Rotary Park with live music, a euchre tournament, a boat race and more. The night tops off with an exploration of the newly-remodeled Lansing Shuffle, which opened Thursday.
Jon Hartzell, from the Livonia-based firm behind Lansing Shuffle, said he's excited for Winterfest and noted the event is one of the biggest for the facility since opening day. He commended the efforts DLI staff put in to expand Winterfest. Hartzel is general partner at Detroit Rising Development, the developer of Lansing Shuffle.
"They've been a big part of why we came here and they came to us on spreading out the points of interest to support more of the downtown area," he said.
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Contact reporter Krystal Nurse at 517-267-1344 or knurse@lsj.com. Follow her on Twitter @KrystalRNurse.
This article originally appeared on Lansing State Journal: Winterfest becomes monthlong February event to draw more visitors to downtown Lansing
