Covid Fest 2021

Michigan Ice Fest turns 30 years old this year. That’s right, for 30 years the Midwest ice climbing family has been making the trek to Munising to climb spectacular ice formations above a frozen landscape that stretches to an unbroken horizon. We planned a huge party to celebrate our anniversary. It was going to be one for the ages. Then everything changed. The world was different. We can’t gather 1,000 climbers in the Mather auditorium to hear our heroes tell tales of adventure and daring. We’re not allowed to head down to the bar to share our own adventures with the dozens of new friends we made during the day. After 29 years of feeling like things would never change, they did. But, after the shock wore off, we realized that the Michigan Ice Fest is more than just parties and slideshows. It’s about the people and the place, and those things haven’t changed at all. Our family is still our family, and the ice will still form.

If we can’t all get together this year, it just means that we’ll have twice as many stories to share when we can. So, we hope you will tune in virtually and join us in celebrating our virtual Ice Fest.

Covid 2021 Fest Schedule

Virtual Presentations

The presentations have always been a big part of the event, and we just can’t imagine a year without the injection of inspiration they provide, pandemic or not. So we’ve gotten together with a few friends and sponsors and we’re putting on a few virtual slideshows during what would be the festival weekend. These will be broadcast on Facebook Live so tune in and engage!

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American Alpine Club Raffle 2021

 

Join or renew your AAC membership now through Feb 16th and email us a copy of your confirmation and you’ll be entered into a raffle for a free entry to ice fest 2022 and a class of your choice!
The American Alpine Club has been a strong supporter of the Michigan Ice Fest for over a decade, partnering to create the AAC Ground School and signing up hundreds of new members. More people become AAC members at the Michigan Ice Fest than almost any other event in the country, and we are really proud of that. Usually at Ice Fest, each person who joins the AAC is automatically entered into a raffle and are guaranteed a prize. That would be kind of hard to pull off this year, but we still feel that supporting the AAC is important whether we are all getting together or not.
This year if you email us the confirmation that you joined the AAC, we will enter you into a raffle where we will give away a free entry into the 2022 Michigan Ice Fest and a class of the winner’s choice! Email your AAC confirmation to: michiganicefest@gmail.com.
There are plenty of perks when you join the AAC, but if you really want to know what
the AAC is all about and why it’s important, take a look around you. Look to the mentor who first showed you how to belay. The partner throwing you a high-five at the summit. Your local legends. The AAC is about all of these people. It’s about community—about coming together. It’s about developing the legacy of climbing, and celebrating that legacy. Just like the Michigan Ice Fest, and that’s why we make such great partners.
Michigan Ice Fest Photo Contest 2021
While the global pandemic may stop us from all getting together during Ice Fest, it doesn’t have to stop you from climbing, or from taking some amazing photos while you’re climbing. We still want to see what all of our friends are doing, and reward their creativity, so we are running our photo contest a little differently this year.
Here’s what to do:
1. During this climbing season snap some photos of ice climbing in the U.P. Photos of climbing, approaches, whatever as long as you feel it represents your the U.P. experience.
2. Post your photos to Instagram with the hashtag #michiganicefest2021. You can enter as many photos as you want. Please make sure your privacy settings allow us to see your photos. If we can’t see them, you can’t win.
3. On March 15th, all of the photos tagged with #michiganicefest2021 will be judged by a panel of Ice Fest staff. Photos will be judged based on some seriously strict criteria like exposure, composition, creativity, and coolness.
4. The panel’s favorite photos will be shared on the Michigan Ice Fest Facebook page and the photo with the most likes at the end of the voting period will be the winner.
The prize will include a registration for the 2022 Michigan Ice Fest and a class of your choice at next year’s event. On top of this already stellar prize, we are throwing in gear and clothing from some of our event sponsors.
Let the contest begin!
Covid Ice Fest Discount !
This year Down Wind Sports launched an online shopping site to help their Ice Fest participants get the gear they need during the pandemic. The Ice Fest family can use the site to get their discount without ever having to leave the comfort of their keyboards. Recieve 20% off all winter by using code COVIDFEST2021 at checkout.
So, while everything may look different this year, and we might not be celebrating our 30th festival the way we planned, remember the U.P. air is still fresh and crisp, the snow is still a dazzling white, and Munising will always be waiting for you. Somethings never change.