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. Jack Frost is a Winter season Ironwood celebration that features seasonal concerts, films, SISU Ski Fest race, snowshoeing, snowmobile olympus and Pro Vintage snowmobile racing, Festival of Lights downtown parade, and concluding bonfire--all 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 will be posted here by mid-September, 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.
2024-2025 Jack Frost Festival Tentative Schedule
1 October to 7 December -- Business & Professional Women’s Group 50/50 Raffle. Tickets ($10 each) are available from BPWG members and also at the Chamber Depot office. Tickets will be sold every Sunday in November at Super One from 10am to 2pm. Drawing will be on Saturday, 7 December, at Rigoni’s Restaurant. [time TBD]
1 October to 7 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 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 14-15 January, 2025
1 November to 6 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 2; Winners announced on First Friday, December 6th.
21 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.
24 November -- Ironwood Middle School Band/Choir Concert at the Historic Ironwood Theatre, 2:00 p.m.
30 November -- Historic Ironwood Theatre – Warren Miller’s 75 Film: 7:00 p.m.; Support fundraiser for local youth ski programs.
2 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.
2 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
6 & 7 December -- Children’s “Make and Take” crafts at the Ironwood Carnegie Library during Library hours.
6 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!
6 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.
6 December - First Friday in Downtown, 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., arts and crafts vendors in downtown Ironwood venues
6 December – First Friday at the Historic Ironwood Theatre, 6:00 movie: “The Polar Express” at 7:00 p.m.
6 December – Chamber Singers Choir Concert at Our Lady of Peace Church, Ironwood, 7:00 p.m.
6 December - 14 December – Ironwood Carnegie Library Story Walk, with a holiday story placed in store windows downtown. Directions for the story pages are available at the library and local businesses.
7 December - Carnegie Library Craft Swap, from 12pm to 1:30pm. Open to all craft supply swap--bring you unneeded buy usable supplies and pick up some new ones during the swap! Event is free! Items are free! [suggested supplies include fabric, paper crafting, craft books and/or kits, jewelry making supplies, et. al.]
7 December – Jack Frost $10,000 raffle drawing at Northwind Natural Foods Co-op, between 2:00 pm and 3:00 p.m.
7 December -- Santa and Mrs. Claus at Incredible Bank from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m.
7 December – Carnegie Library Open House from 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. with cookies and hot cider.
7 December -- Northern Elves’ Santa Dash, starts from the Carnegie Library corner at 5:45 p.m.
7 December -- Jack Frost Festival of Lights Parade at 6:00 in downtown Ironwood. Parade unit line-up starts at 5:00 p.m.
7 December -- Gogebic Range Band Christmas Concert at 7:00 in the Historic Ironwood Theatre
8 December – Chamber Singers Choir Concert at Our Lady of Peace Church, Ironwood, 4:00pm
8 December – Luther L. Wright High School Band Christmas Concert at the Historic Ironwood Theatre, 2:00 p.m.
13 & 14 December—AMSOIL Mt. Zion Snocross National Snocross Races at Gogebic Community College’s Mt. Zion.
14 December -- Ironwood Township Fire Department Annual Christmas for Kids, 10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. at the Ironwood Township Hall.
14 & 15 December – Historic Ironwood Theatre presents Christmas Spectacular; 7:00 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 14 and 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 15: Celebrating Ironwood’s musical and dance performers!
15 December -- “Tuba Christmas” musical performance at Cold Iron Brewing, 4:30 p.m.
19 December – Luther L. Wright “Accent” Choir Holiday Show, Historic Ironwood Theatre, 7:00 p.m.
27 - 29 December – Pro Vintage Championship Snowmobile Races at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds. Please visit midwestsnocross.com for details and updates http://www.midwestsnocross.com/Ironwood.html
3 - 5 January, USSA ProStar Cup “Snowmobile Olympus” will be held this year at the Gogebic County Fairgrounds.
10 January – Depot Dash for Kids -- Kids 10 and under can try cross country skiing or snowshoeing for free from 1:00 to 5:00 p.m. at Ironwood’s Depot Park, 150 North Lowell St., Ironwood: equipment, instruction, 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/ Materials pick-up and vendor exposition at the Ironwood Memorial Building Auditorium, 4:00 – 10: 00 p.m. (Friday); Expo continues on Saturday from noon to 4pm.