Winter Festival 2026

Winter Festival 2026: Après Ski Saturday, February 21: 11 AM - 7 PM Sunday, February 22: 8 AM - 4:30 PM We invite service-based businesses (home improvement, insurance, chiropractors, etc.) to partner with Festivals of Cedarburg as a Winter Festival Sponsor. Please see the list of sponsorship opportunities in the Documents section below. As one of Ozaukee County's favorite winter celebrations, we see over 12,000 attendees come to Downtown Cedarburg to enjoy the festivities. This is a fantastic opportunity to share valuable information about your business while supporting a non-profit organization. Festivals of Cedarburg, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to celebrating and supporting our vibrant community through four large-scale events each year. Producing these events requires thousands of volunteer hours, the commitment of local businesses, and — most importantly — the generosity of sponsors. Sponsorship dollars directly offset the ever-increasing costs of logistics, safety, entertainment, and infrastructure that make these festivals possible. Our goal is to keep festival participation affordable for local artists, small businesses, and makers, while ensuring the 200,000+ annual visitors to our events experience a safe, enjoyable, and memorable celebration of Cedarburg’s charm. With the help of your valued contribution, we aim to provide more opportunities for community engagement, increased traffic to our business district, and grants and scholarships that directly benefit the Cedarburg community.

Thank you for your interest in the Winter Festival Bed Races! This annual fan-favorite competition showcases the amazing creative skills of local businesses and groups as they build theme-based racing "sleds" (on bed frames) to compete on the (hopefully) frozen Cedar Creek. Families and groups are welcomed and encouraged to participate!

 

Remember, creativity counts just as much as speed, so bring your best theme interpretation, costumes, and team spirit. Adherence to theme a must! 

 

Theme: Aprés Ski at Chalet Cedarburg

 

Race Location: Mill Pond, (Boy Scout Park), behind the Cedar Creek Settlement (if the Creek is not frozen, the race will take place on Riveredge Dr.)

 

Team Requirements: Teams must have 5 members (4 to push/skate and 1 to ride). 

 

Award Divisions & Prizes:

Best Design/Costumes ($250)

Speed (1st place $150, 2nd Place $100, 3rd Place $50)

This annual competition showcases the amazing ice carving skills of both professionals and amateurs alike. Families and groups are welcomed and encouraged to participate! Each team will be assigned to a specific ice block to carve (on theme).

 

2026 Theme: Aprés Ski at Chalet Cedarburg

 

Divisions

• Adult Professional
• Adult Amateur (16 yrs. and older, maximum 2 adult carvers)
• Family/Youth or Group Division (family must include at least 1 child under age 16 and 1 adult; group must include at least 1 adult) 

 

Ice Blocks:  

Each ice block is about 10” x 20” x 40” and weighs around 270 pounds. Due to the size and fragile nature of the blocks, we will not be able to provide replacements in case of mishaps. 

 

Check In:

Please have a team representative check in at the Community Gym (W63 N641 Washington Ave) by 8:30am on February 21st. You will receive your ice block location and carving tools.

 

Judging/Prizes

Judging will begin around 1:45 p.m. Ice sculptures will be judged on a point system for originality, artistic merit, and adherence to the theme. 

 

Best of Show: any sculpture qualifies - $250

People's Choice Award: $100

Professional Division: $150

Amateur/Family/Group Division:  $150

 

Winners will be announced on Saturday in the Community Center immediately following the judging, which should at approximately 4:00 p.m.  Prizes will be mailed to those not present.