Despite the success of Summerfest, Downtown Milwaukee winter festivals have historically inspired few smiles. The failed frozen fests include Winterfun in the ‘70s; Winterfest, which was proposed by Mayor Henry Maier in 1985; and Winterfest: The Big Cool in the early ‘90s.
Why exactly Milwaukee can’t sustain a winter festival is up for debate, although part of the reason is the obvious: Despite our history of enduring cold weather, many Milwaukeeans don’t care to endure cold weather. But there are and have been festivals that question that theory as well. A few years ago, an indoor-version of Winter Fest took place inside the Wisconsin Center, but it only lasted a couple of seasons.
Mitten Fest – an outdoor street party and music venue at Burnhearts, 2599 S. Logan St. – is about to celebrate its fifth year on Saturday, Feb. 4. The event, which is also a fundraiser for the Hunger Task Force, draws thousands of people regardless of snow or low temperatures. Is it the music? The magic of the Bay View community? The delicious brandy drinks? And if so, why weren’t these qualities embraced at winter fests from the past?
This weekend, Newaukee and Underground Collaborative will take a crack at hosting a winter festival called Snowpocalypse in Downtown Milwaukee.
The four-day event started Thursday, Jan. 26 and runs through Sunday, Jan. 29. It takes place behind the Grand Avenue Mall between North 2nd Street and North Plankinton Avenue.
"Our hope is to enliven what is typically the dead of winter with a playful outdoor lineup of activities in the heart of Downtown," says Newaukee’s Angela Damiani.
The agenda looks really promising: pop-up ice bar, bonfires, s’mores, food trucks, "a burnout brunch" and something called "snoga," an interesting combination of the (hopefully) snowy outdoors and yoga.
Tracey Sheasby attended last night, the opening night of the event. She says attendance was decent for the first night, and the crowd was fun and spirited.
"People did a lot more mingling than at a usual gathering because we were all huddled around the firepits keeping warm," says Sheasby. "And I got to make a s'more, which is something you don't get to do often in the city."
Molly Snyder started writing and publishing her work at the age 10, when her community newspaper printed her poem, "The Unicorn.” Since then, she's expanded beyond the subject of mythical creatures and written in many different mediums but, nearest and dearest to her heart, thousands of articles for OnMilwaukee.
Molly is a regular contributor to FOX6 News and numerous radio stations as well as the co-host of "Dandelions: A Podcast For Women.” She's received five Milwaukee Press Club Awards, served as the Pfister Narrator and is the Wisconsin State Fair’s Celebrity Cream Puff Eating Champion of 2019.
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