Port Austin Winter Carnival

Port Austin Winter Carnival 2022 – It Blows In Again 1st Weekend in February

The winters of the early 1970s were long, cold, and snowy. At the annual winter carnival, Port Austin was the spot to gather a team and play broomball. Back in the day, the festival was massive, complete with parades and the coronation of the Winter Carnival Queen. Postcards were also printed. It’s all back again with the Port Austin Winter Carnival 2022.

The Port Austin Winter Carnival 2022 returns the first weekend in February. The chilly event restarted last year after an 11-year absence from the Upper Thumb Socal Event Calendar. While the focus will be the broomball tournament, the village’s ice arena will be hosting several events. The festivities begin on Friday, February 4th, and run through Sunday, February 6th, 2022.

Port Austin Winter Carnival 2022 Schedule of Events

Friday

Port Austin Winter Carnival
Courtesy Port Austin Chamber of Commerce from 2021

The first event begins on Friday at 5 pm with Ice Shuffleboard at Gallop Park. The cost per 2-man team is $15, and each team must have a captain. You can register your team on the Chamber website or follow this link. Port Austin 2022 Winter Carnival Ice Shuffleboard Registration. The snowman building contest begins, and The Bank 1884 is open as a warming station from 5-11 pm.

Saturday

Port Austin Winter Carnival 2021
Courtesy Port Austin Chamber of Commerce from 2021

The day kicks off with the start of the Broomball Tournament at 11 am on Railroad Street. If required, the five-player teams may continue the tournament play at noon Sunday. The Chamber’s Broomball Registration Site indicates that the cost is $100 per team. Unfortunately, the tournament schedule filled up quickly last year, so act fast.

Port Austin Winter Carnival 2021 - Polar Bear Dip
Courtesy Port Austin Chamber of Commerce from 2021

At noon those who want to chill out can take a Polar Bear dip in the ice-cold waters of Lake Huron. Each brave soul gets a t-shirt. The cost is $25. You can register your team on the Chamber website or follow this link. Port Austin 2022 Winter Carnival Polar Bear Dip Registration.

Finally, at 7 pm, look for a competitive game of tug-of-war on the village green. The Bank 1884 is open as a warming station from 11 am until 10 pm.

Sunday

Sunday is the final event is for the kids at the new Port Austin ice rink. Bring the kids under 12 at 1 pm for some fun skating, slipping, and sliding competitions.

For more information and details and a specific schedule of events, see the Port Austin Chamber of Commerce Events Calendar.

Port Austin Winter Carnival 2022 Wearables

It wouldn’t be a Chamber of Commerce event if there weren’t a beefy sweatshirt or hoody for sale. The Chamber is currently preselling these thick sweatshirts online.

  • Caseville Shanty Days 2022 – This year’s Shanty days festivities start on, Friday, February 11th, 2022 with entertainment at several establishments in town. The event first started in 1992 as a snowmobile and motorcycle ice race south of Caseville on Mud Creek. The event was moved to town as a result of increasingly inconsistent ice and snow conditions.
  • Cheeseburger Festival Caseville – The annual Cheeseburger in Caseville is a chance to experience a bit of Key West and NOLA atmosphere, tropical music and indulge in cheeseburgers. In prior years, officials placed estimates were that over 100,000 people visited the area during its 10 day festival.
  • Chill Out at Caseville Shanty Days 2019 – Caseville Shanty 2019 is the 27th edition of this Winter Festival. This offers mid-winter fun on the ice. It’s the largest winter carnival in the Upper Thumb.
  • Play on the Shore of a Michigan Beach – A blissful day on one of the many Michigan Beach with public parks along the shoreline of the Thumb. Playing in the sugar sand along the shore with kids is a favorite thing to do in the Upper Thumb.
  • Run Around in the Upper Thumb – A friend of mine signed us up for a 5K run/walk during Cheeseburger festival several years ago. I’ll freely admit that I’m not into running or jogging. So it was a relief that he pointed out that we could walk it too. Which is what we did.
Outdoor Skillz

Michael Hardy

Michael Hardy is the owner of Thumbwind Publications LLC. Michael was born in Michigan and grew up near Caseville. In 2009 he started this fun-loving site covering Michigan's Upper Thumb. Since then, he has authored a vast range of content and established a loyal base of 60,000 visitors per month.

View all posts by Michael Hardy →

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