Charlevoix & Petoskey
Harbor Springs
For history, harbor views and the Tunnel of Trees: a small town on the north shore of Little Traverse Bay, with two ski areas nearby for winter.
Festival · Arts · Family · Harbor Springs
Harbor Springs Ice Fest
A two-day February festival that fills downtown Harbor Springs with ice sculptures, live carving and an ice park in Zorn Park.
The Harbor Springs Downtown Development Authority stages Ice Fest each February, turning the small downtown on Little Traverse Bay into an outdoor gallery of carved ice for a Friday and Saturday.
Carvers work in front of visitors, and Zorn Park becomes an ice park that children can explore. Recent editions have added horse-drawn wagon tours and an evening drone show over the bay. It pairs well with a weekend in Petoskey, just across the bay.
What to expect
The most recent edition placed more than 50 ice sculptures around downtown, with live carving, a dueling chainsaws show, carving demonstrations and an interactive ice park in Zorn Park. It also offered a scavenger hunt, games, free horse-drawn wagon tours and a drone show over the bay. The program for the coming year may differ.
Location
Where Harbor Springs Ice Fest happens
4 places on an OpenStreetMap map
The pin marks the town; check the organizer for exact venues.
About Harbor Springs
Nearby attractions
Straight-line distances, not driving distances.
Scenic drive
M-119 Tunnel of Trees Scenic Heritage Route
A narrow, winding stretch of M-119 along the Lake Michigan shoreline north of Harbor Springs toward Cross Village, made for a slow drive.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Beach
Zorn Park Beach
Harbor Springs' downtown beach: a marked swim area, a floating raft, picnic lawns, restrooms and lifeguards on select summer days.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Beach
Zoll Street Beach
A dog-friendly beach on Little Traverse Bay near downtown Harbor Springs, with free parking, a restroom and an easy kayak launch.
Under a mile away (straight line)
Places to stay nearby
Inn · Mid-range
Colonial Inn
In the Wequetonsing neighborhood of Harbor Springs
A Harbor Springs inn dating to 1894 in the Wequetonsing summer neighborhood, a member of Historic Hotels of America with 42 restored rooms.
Hotel · Budget
OTIS Harbor Springs
On South Lake Shore Drive (M-119) just outside Harbor Springs, near the Tunnel of Trees
A boutique hotel with a mid-century look on a 10-acre property just outside Harbor Springs, along the road to the Tunnel of Trees.
Resort
The Highlands at Harbor Springs
Near Harbor Springs, north of Petoskey
A Boyne-owned ski and golf resort near Harbor Springs, known as Boyne Highlands until 2022, with several golf courses and downhill skiing.
More events in and around Harbor Springs
- Blissfest Music FestivalA three-day folk, world and roots music festival with camping at the 200-acre Festival Farm outside Harbor Springs, held the second weekend in July.
- Odawa Homecoming Pow WowAn August pow wow near Harbor Springs that is free and open to the public, with dance and drum contests and food.
- Ugotta RegattaA late-July sailing regatta on Little Traverse Bay, hosted by the Little Traverse Yacht Club the weekend after the Mackinac races.
- Winter Wonderland WeekendA February weekend in downtown Petoskey with ice sculptures, ice carving demonstrations and winter shopping and dining along the downtown streets.