Don’t let the 2026 I.C.E. Fest slip by

Chuck Zwilling, among with other members of the Zwilling family and many other volunteers, will be putting on their ninth I.C.E. Fest the weekend of Feb. 21-22 on Green Prairie Fish Lake.

Joseph Stanichar / Morrison County Record / Feb 14, 2026

Much of the equipment within this trailer will be set up around Green Prairie Fish Lake Feb. 21 and 22 for the 2026 I.C.E. Fest.

The 2026 Ice Carousel Extravaganza (I.C.E.) Fest, hosted by the Zwilling family and Pay it Forward Foundation, is set to be another weekend full of fun for all ages.

This year’s I.C.E. Fest will be the ninth one since it kicked off in 2018. A year prior to that event, the first ice carousel, a rotating circle of ice in the middle of a body of water, was created by Janne Käpylehto. That same year, Chuck Zwilling and his family made the first ice carousel of their own, spanning 54 feet.

The following year, the Zwillings decided not only to shoot for their first world record for largest ice carousel, but also to make an event out of it where anyone could come and watch history be made, calling it I.C.E. Fest. It was a success on both counts, breaking the previous world record with a 111-foot ice carousel and drawing in a large audience that raised money for charity through sponsorships.

The proceeds from these sponsorships first go toward paying for the expenses of putting on the event, but 100% of everything beyond that — a total of $168,000 raised over the past eight events — has gone to the Flyer Pride Pack and Kare Kloset programs, which provide Little Falls children in need with food and clothing.

In fact, recent I.C.E. Fests have raised so much money for these programs that 2026 will be the first year in which a third beneficiary is added: Oasis Central Minnesota, which provides emergency shelter and housing case management to people experiencing homelessness in Morrison County.

Zwilling described how there’s an ideal “Goldilocks Zone” for weather conditions to have a perfect I.C.E. Fest. It needs to have been cold enough for enough ice to have formed on the lake, as if the ice isn’t at least 16 inches thick, the event will be moved off of the lake for safety. This happened in 2024, being called “Beach Fest” instead. Although Zwilling was still happy with the turnout and amount of donations, he conceded that not having the iconic ice carousel at the event may have hindered both.

Alternatively, Zwilling said it’s ideal if the weekend of I.C.E. Fest isn’t excessively cold, as it sometimes has been for past events. Although cold weather preceding the event helps to ensure the ice is thick enough, frigid temperatures the days of I.C.E. Fest can discourage some people from attending due to them not wanting to brave the cold.

 

However, Zwilling is hopeful that this year’s I.C.E. Fest will be squarely in that Goldilocks Zone, with the preceding months of sub-zero temperatures all but guaranteeing sufficiently thick ice but recent warming temperatures hopefully making the weekend more inviting to more people. No matter the temperature, there will be a sauna and warming tent with free food, coffee and hot chocolate to help keep everyone warm and happy on-site.

Zwilling said that he’s still looking for more volunteers to help the event run smoothly but that he’s consistently impressed by how whenever it looks like pulling I.C.E. Fest off might be too much to handle, the surrounding community of Little Falls has always stepped up to help. As an example, he told a story of how after he communicated the need for more volunteers at the KLTF Radio, a veteran volunteer committed to helping out even more than he had originally planned to.

“I had one of the guys that has volunteered driving around, bringing and hooking all the trailers up and bringing stuff out there,” Zwilling said. “He just texted me, ‘Heard you on the radio.’ He said, ‘I can be there all week if you need.’ So it’s like, yeah, I need about five more of those, and I’ll feel comfortable again. But it’ll happen. It’s amazing how it happens.”

Zwilling also took time to thank the many local businesses and organizations that act as sponsors for the event, both helping to cover its expenses and raising money to give to now three deserving charities. The biggest sponsors, called “Diamond Sponsors,” include Minnesota Power, JD Home Healthcare, the Little Falls Exchange Club and Animal Haven.

In addition to the ice carousels, the I.C.E. Fest also features curling, face painting, human foosball, ice fishing, an underwater drone, a fire-starting tutorial, igloo building, a paragliding demo and antique snowmobile rides, just to name a few activities. It runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Feb. 21 and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Feb. 22 on Green Prairie Fish Lake at 12846 Forest Road in Little Falls.

Those interested in sponsoring or volunteering for the event can contact Zwilling via email at chuck.zwilling@results.net or call or text him at (320) 249-1504.

 

Source: Morrison County Record: Search Tag Chuck Zwilling - Article