Great Ice Festival Draws Hundreds to Vermont Lake

Annual event celebrates frozen Lake Champlain with outdoor activities.

Published on Feb. 16, 2026

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The annual Great Ice Festival in North Hero, Vermont brought hundreds of people to the frozen shores of Lake Champlain this past weekend. The festival, which has been running for nearly two decades, allowed visitors to walk, skate, bike, and snowmobile directly on the frozen lake surface - an experience that many, including international visitors, described as unique and bucket-list worthy.

Why it matters

The Great Ice Festival is an important community event that brings Vermonters together during the winter months to celebrate and enjoy the frozen Lake Champlain. This year's festival was especially notable as it marked the first full freeze of the lake since 2019, highlighting the impact of climate change on Vermont's winters.

The details

With much of the celebration taking place directly on the frozen lake, festival-goers were able to engage in a variety of winter activities like walking, skating, biking, and snowmobiling across the icy surface. For some attendees, like Alysse Anton from Burlington and her friend Jostian Mahler, the conditions were a stark contrast to their experiences in other parts of the world, making the festival a truly unique and bucket-list worthy event.

  • The Great Ice Festival took place this past weekend (February 14-16, 2026).
  • The festival has been running for nearly two decades in North Hero, Vermont.

The players

Alysse Anton

A Burlington, Vermont resident who was attending the festival for the first time and compared the frozen lake conditions to her home country of Switzerland.

Jostian Mahler

Alysse Anton's friend who described the festival setting as unlike anything she had ever seen before.

Lance Newman

An Alburgh, Vermont resident who said the festival experience is something that some people only get to experience once in a lifetime.

Andy Julow

A member of the Great Ice Committee who expressed the community's love for Lake Champlain and desire to be out on the frozen lake.

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What they’re saying

“That never happens in Switzerland, to be so cold and so icy. Lakes don't freeze that much.”

— Alysse Anton (mynbc5.com)

“It feels like I can check that off my bucket list because it just looks so different.”

— Jostian Mahler (mynbc5.com)

“It's something that some people only experience once in a lifetime, and we have this on our doorstep.”

— Lance Newman (mynbc5.com)

“We love the lake. That's why we're here. We want to be out on it.”

— Andy Julow, Great Ice Committee (mynbc5.com)

What’s next

Organizers say the Great Ice Festival will return to North Hero, Vermont next winter, providing another opportunity for the community to celebrate the frozen Lake Champlain.

The takeaway

The Great Ice Festival showcases Vermont's unique winter landscape and the community's deep connection to Lake Champlain. As climate change impacts the reliability of the lake's freeze, events like this festival become increasingly important in bringing people together to appreciate and enjoy this natural wonder.