JACK FROST FESTIVAL
Ironwood's 2025 Jack Frost Festival will begin with the Depot Park Christmas Tree-lighting Ceremony on Thursday, November 20th at 6:00 p.m., and run until the Norrie Club's "Light Up The Night" event on Saturday, January 31st, 2026. Jack Frost Wintertime is a seasonal Ironwood celebration that features art exhibits, concerts, films, SISU Ski Fest race, snowshoeing, Pro Vintage snowmobile racing, Festival of Lights downtown parade, and concluding "Light Up The Night" bonfire and fireworks. All events are created by a variety of local organizations to showcase the great U.P. life in December and January.
Entry in the Jack Frost Festival of Lights Parade is open to all--you do not have to be an Ironwood Chamber of Commerce member to enter. The 2025 Parade will be on Saturday, December 6th, at 6:00 p.m. on downtown Ironwood's Aurora Street. The new 2025 entry form is posted below and you can download it directly, or pick a copy up at the Chamber office in the Ironwood Depot, 150 North Lowell Street. The parade unit guidelines are also available for download here as well. There will be cash prizes for "best on parade" this year too! There is no overall Parade theme other than Christmas and/or Jack Frost Wintertime. All parade units must be lit with Christmas lights!
Please follow the Jack Frost Festival Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/JackFrostFestival for all the latest Festival updates and related posts and pictures.
Again this year the Ironwood Chamber will be having its $10,000 Jack Frost Festival Raffle. This benefits the Chamber's capital and community sponsorship fund. With $10K in 9 cash prizes, and only 200 tickets sold, the Jack Frost Raffle certainly offers a ticket-purchase incentive. The reason the Chamber conducts this yearly raffle is to raise funds that the Chamber can used for Chamber capital projects and community sponsorships. As the Ironwood Chamber receives NO TAX MONEY for its support, a successful Jack Frost Raffle ticket-sale enables our chamber to have a yearly fund to help support community organizations and events. Each ticket costs $100 and can be purchased at the Chamber Depot Office or through individual ticket sellers. The raffle sale begins October 1st, 2025, with the drawing of the winners on Saturday, December 6th.
Jack Frost Raffle Winners for 2025 are:
First prize, Sue Mullineux & Jerry Synkelma; Second prize, Paul Linn & Kevin Nyquist; 3rd prize, Will & Barb Corcoran, 4th prize, Taco Dan; 5th prize Pat Niksich; 6the prize, Kerry Roehm; 7th prize, Mary Saari; 8th prize, Crystal & Jimmy Kuklinski; 9th prize, Chris Lahti.
2025-2026 Jack Frost Festival Tentative Schedule
1 October to 6 December -- Business & Professional Women’s Group 50/50 Jack Frost Raffle. Tickets ($10 each) are available from: Rigoni's Inn, Steiger's Home Center, Hautala's Tavern, Headlines, Hair Salon, Ironwood Chamber of Commerce office, and BPW members. Sales will also be at Super One on Sundays beginning on October 26 from 10am to 2pm. Drawing will be on Saturday, 7 December, at Rigoni’s Restaurant. [time TBD]
1 October to December - Ironwood Chamber of Commerce $10,000 Jack Frost Raffle. Tickets ($100.00 each—only 200 printed; 9 cash prizes) are available at the Historic Ironwood Depot Chamber Office, by mail request to P.O. Box 45, Ironwood, MI, from ticket sellers, and at these locations: GGs Gifts & Boutique, Incredible Bank, and Northwind Natural Foods. Drawing on Saturday, December 7, at 2:00, at Northwind Natural Foods.
1 October – SISU Ski Fest Registration Opens. https://www.sisuskifest.com/ First Day of registration begins for the SISU Ski Fest which will be on 10-11 January, 2026
1 November to 5 December -- WIMI/WJMS Business Window Decorating Contest. Entry forms are at the Chamber office, Chamber webpage, or WIMI/WJMS office. All entries due by Monday, December 1; Winners announced on First Friday, December 5th.
20 November -- Depot Park Tree Lighting Ceremony, Thursday at 150 North Lowell Street, commencing at 6:00 p.m. Special music by Luther L. Wright High School Choir members. Post ceremony refreshments and 1905 reed organ carol sing-along will be inside the Depot at the Ironwood Chamber office.
29 November -- Historic Ironwood Theatre – Warren Miller’s "SNO-CIETY" Film: 7:00 p.m.; Support fundraiser for local youth ski programs.
1 December (MONDAY) -- Jack Frost Parade Entries Due at the Chamber Depot office. Entry forms available at the Chamber, or by mail, or from the chamber webpage. NO ONE WILL BE ALLOWED ENTRY INTO THE PARADE AFTER THIS CLOSING REGISTRATION DATE.
1 December -- WJMS/WIMI Business Window Decorating Contest Entries Due at the Chamber Depot office or at WJMS/WIMI studios at 222 S. Lawrence St., Ironwood, MI
5 - 12 December -- Carnegie Library Story Walk The book is "How to Catch a Snowman". The pages will be up in downtown businesses starting on "Frost Friday" (December 5) and will stay up until Friday, 12 December.
5 December -- St. Vincent De Paul Customer Appreciation Day from 10:00 am to 4:00 pm. Stop in at 216 West Aurora Street, Ironwood, for cookies, coffee, and treats!
5 December -- WUPM Jack Frost Festival Radio Broadcast live from the Chamber Depot office from 10:00 until noon. Festival event organizers speak about their individual events.
5 December - First Friday in Downtown, 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. Arts and crafts vendors in downtown Ironwood locations: Golden Dragon Restaurant; Incredible Bank; Cold Iron Brewing Co.
5 December – First Friday at the Historic Ironwood Theatre, "The Best Christmas Pageant Ever" - 7:00 p.m.
5 December – Chamber Singers Choir Concert at Our Lady of Peace Church, Ironwood, 7:00 p.m.
6 December - Carnegie Library "Make and Take" Snowmen Craft to pick up at the Library Saturday morning and also during Jack Frost Open House from 4:30 to 6pm.
6 December – Jack Frost $10,000 raffle drawing at Northwind Natural Foods Co-op, between 2:00 pm and 3:00 p.m.
6 December -- Santa and Mrs. Claus at Incredible Bank from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
6 December – Carnegie Library Open House from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. with cookies and hot cider.
6 December -- Jack Frost Festival of Lights Parade at 6:00 in downtown Ironwood. Parade unit line-up starts at 5:00 p.m. Parade starts from in front of the Carnegie Library and travels west to the Aurora/Lawrence intersection.
6 December -- Gogebic Range Band Christmas Concert at 7:00 p.m. in the Historic Ironwood Theatre
7 December – Chamber Singers Choir Concert at Our Lady of Peace Church, Ironwood, 4:00pm
7 December – Luther L. Wright High School Band Christmas Concert at the Historic Ironwood Theatre, 2:00 p.m.
9 December - Luther L. Wright Middle School Band and Choir Christmas Concert at the Historic Ironwood Theatre, 2:00 p.m.
12 & 13 December—Mt. Zion Snocross National Races at Gogebic Community College’s Mt. Zion.
13 December - Ironwood Township Christmas For Kids, 10am to 12noon, at the Township Community Building
13 December - Luther L. Wright "Accent" Choir Holiday Show, Historic Ironwood Theatre, 7:00 p.m.
14 December - Fire on the Hill Midwest Snocross Regional Series at Gogebic Community Colleges' Mt. Zion
14 December -- “Tuba Christmas” musical performance at Cold Iron Brewing, 4:30 p.m.
20 December -- Historic Ironwood Theatre movie: "It's A Wonderful Life" 7:00 p.m.
9 January – SISU Depot Dash for Kids -- Kids 10 and under can try cross country skiing or snowshoeing for free from 4:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Ironwood’s Depot Park, 150 North Lowell St., Ironwood: equipment, hot chocolate, & cookies provided.
10 & 11 January – SISU Ski Fest – Races on Saturday begin at the ABR Ski Trails and will finish at the downtown Ironwood City Square; Registration opens October 1st https://www.sisuskifest.com/
31 January - "Light Up the Night" Christmas Tree Burning Event, Norrie Amateur Sports Club, at 7:00 p.m. DJ music, treats, kid's bonfire, & fireworks!