Celebrate Snow, Ice and Cabin Fever
at Bayfield's Winter Festival, March 4th - 6th, 2011

Release your cabin fever at this family fun event and support local recreational organizations like the Bayfield Area Recreation Center and Mt. Ashwabay Ski and Recreation Area at the same time. Young and old can participate in this weekend-long celebration, with a range of activities for every member of the family.

Start your planning with a visit to our Lodging Availability system: book a cozy cabin for the whole family, a romantic room at a local B&B, or a comfortable hotel suite ~ Bayfield has lodging to suit everyone's needs.

Friday, March 4th
• Join us for Frosty Festival Friday throughout Bayfield! From 4:00 - 7:00 pm, participating shops and restaurants will be offering refreshments, unique festival-themed sales, scrumptious food specials & the opportunity to be entered in a drawing for 3 grand prizes, including a weekend lodging package at Island View B & B, a gift basket from Big Water Cafe & Coffee Roasters & Flamingo's Up North, and passes to the Bayfield Area Recreation Center and Mt. Ashwabay Recreation Area. Collect tickets at every participating First Friday business that you visit and enter to win prizes at the Bayfield Inn's Freeze Your Glass Off Deck Party. Drawing will take place at 8:00 pm. Download a list of participating retailers here.
• Compete to perform the "Blessing of the Hole" during Saturday's Polar Plunge. Wear your most outrageous winter hat during Frosty Festival Friday and visit at least 3 participating First Friday businesses to get tickets. Outrageous hat judging will take place at the Deck Party at the Bayfield Inn. The winner will receive rights to perform the "Blessing of the Hole" during Saturday's Polar Bear Plunge.
• Freeze Your Glass Off Deck Party at the Bayfield Inn Starting at 7:00 pm, party on the outdoor deck of the Bayfield Inn, with live music, drinks and an incredible view of the lake. Heaters, drinks and dancing will keep you warm. Prize drawings for those who attended the Frosty Festival Friday shopping take place at 8:00 pm. See who wins the "most outrageous winter hat" contest! Attendees will also have the opportunity to pre-register for Saturday's Run On Water during this time.


Saturday, March 5th
• 11:15am - Run on Water - The 18th annual Run on Water is a family fun event open to people of all ages and skill levels. Participants can choose to run, walk, ski, snowshoe, bike, skate or even skijor the 4.5-mile course on the famous "ice road" across frozen Lake Superior from Bayfield to Madeline Island and back. Get registration information here.
• 3:00pm - Polar Bear Plunge - Watch brave volunteers parade then jump into frigid Lake Superior through a hole in the ice to raise money for the Bayfield Area Recreation Center. Judge the plunges and the costumes. Better yet, do it yourself! Plunging and pledging information available here.
• 6:00pm - 11:00pm - Mt. Ashwabay Winterfest Bash - It's back, bigger, and better than ever! Enjoy live Music by Nathan Parent and the Parallel Figures, The Ringtones, Down the Hatch, and The What Four. Eat delicious food by The Pier Plaza Restaurant, Isle Vista Casino, Good Thyme Restaurant, and North Coast Coffee and Mini-Donuts. Warm up by the giant bonfire, try your luck with the 50/50 raffle, enjoy night skiing and tubing, cross-country skiing with a luminary-lit trail and more. $10/person at the gate includes tubing, lift, and entrance to music tent. Beverages, food, and equipment rental extra.
  
  PLEASE PARK IN BAYFIELD OR AT THE ISLE VISTA CASINO IN RED CLIFF AND TAKE THE FREE SHUTTLE, PROVIDED BY ISLE VISTA CASINO. The bus will run from Isle Vista, to the Bayfield Inn, to Mt. Ashwabay, and back from 5:00pm to 11:15 pm.


Sunday, March 6th

• 8:00-12:00pm - Breakfast at the Pier Plaza. Head to the Pier for this special, a la carte breakfast with proceeds going towards the Bayfield Recreation Center. All patrons will receive coupons for the Pier’s upcoming “March Madness”.
• 10:00-4:30pm - Skiing at Mt. Ashwabay Recreation Area. Downhill or cross country ski at our great community ski hill. Tubing hill open from 12:00pm to 4:00pm.
• 10:00-1:00pm - Bayfield Farmers Market Craft Fair. The Egg Toss opens its porch to our local artisans and invites you to visit to browse through such attractions as Knitting, Weaving, Carvings, Bead Jewelry, Stone Jewelry, Jams & Jellies, Soaps & Scents, lots of Crafty Crafts, and even Astrological Readings.