For most folks, winter means being inside wrapped in blankets by the fire. We Iowans, however, don’t let a little cold ruin the fun. Here are some ways you can celebrate winter in Iowa.
Starting Jan. 25 in Amana, Winterfest is the perfect excuse to get out of the house in late January. Winterfest 2020 is a quirky, cool winter festival the whole family will enjoy.
Winterfest puts some new twists on old classic games. Meet the Great Amana Ham Put. If you’re imagining adults and children lined up for their chance at shot-putting a Christmas ham, then you’re spot on. There’s also the Pork Chop Slap Shot contest, or the Best Beard Competition. With plenty of indoor and outdoor games here, you’re bound to have a ball.
The Winter Wildland Alliance Backcountry Film Festival is “a compilation of films that celebrate the human-powered experience through winter adventures.”
The festival runs two days: Jan. 25-26. Guest speaker Gail Brown will discuss her 32-day journey walking the French Way of the Camino de Santiago. There will be a host of raffle prizes, including lift tickets for Sundown Mountain and Chestnut Mountain ski resorts.
The Okoboji Winter Games is an annual festival in the Iowa Great Lakes Area every January. Roughly 10,000 people show up for all kinds of activities — including a bonfire on ice! There are bike rides, a 5k/10k race, broomball, softball, a talent show, and so much more. The Winter Games is a great festival to bring the kids to.
Nothing can give you the blues quite like a long, cold winter. The folks at the Central Iowa Blues Society feel your pain. That’s why they host the Winter Blues Fest in Des Moines, Iowa every February.
The festival hosts over 20 artists, such as Watermelon Slim, and runs for two consecutive days. There will also be a guitar workshop with Doug Deming this year, among other exciting activities.
We at Motor Inn hope you have a safe, fun winter this year.
