Thank you for coming out to Winterval 2023! We appreciate all of the support! We will be posting photos to Facebook very soon! Mark January 27, 2024 on your calendars as you will not want to miss all of the WINTER FUN!
Celebrate winter with a visit to downtown Fort Wayne! The 12th annual Winterval promises a full day of indoor and outdoor winter fun for all ages. Watch ice carvers create wonders from a solid block of ice, shop for unique hand-crafted items, enjoy special events and activities at, the Botanical Conservatory, the Old Fort, the Allen County Public Library and Science Central. Go for a carriage ride at the Community Center or ice skating at Headwaters Park.
Check out the full Winterval activities on the Winterval Poster or the Winterval Program (includes a downtown map and description of each event)! Have fun!
Interested in being a 2023 Sponsor? The Frozen Fort Ice Art Sponsorship Form is now available. Questions? Contact Patti Davis, 260-427-6465.
Media Sponsors:
Are you interested in sponsoring an Ice Carving?
Area businesses are invited to put themselves on ice by being a part of the Frozen Fort Ice Art exhibit.
*Professional carvers will transform the blocks of ice into beautiful works of art throughout the day.
*Your business can purchase ice carvings which display your business logo, an object that represents your business, or a theme of your choice.
*Each ice block is approximately 20” wide x 10” deep x 40” tall, but that’s only the minimum size the carvers work with. If you wish, the ice artists can put several blocks of ice together to form a much larger sculpture for your business.
* Deadline
* Prices start at $280
* Download the Frozen Fort Ice Sponsorship Form (NOW available)
* Questions? Call Patti Davis, 260.427-6465.
Ice Carvings
Watch professional carvers create ice sculptures before your eyes! Ice sculptures created by Ice Creations in Napolean, Ohio.
Live Ice Carvings
Live ice carvings can be found at the following locations and will be outside & free!
10 am Winterval at the Conservatory (1100 S. Calhoun Street)
12 pm Allen County Public Library (900 Library Plaza)
2 pm Winter Carnival at the Community Center (233 W. Main)
2 pm Mercado (111 W. Columbia Street) (Sponsored by Design Collaborative)
7 pm Winter Cozy at Promenade Park (202 W. Superior Street)
Pre-Sculpted Ice Carvings
Pre-sculpted ice carvings can be found at the following locations:
Lindenwood Nature Preserve
600 Lindenwood Ave.
Community Center
233 W. Main St.
NFL Flag Football Program
Community Center
233 W. Main St.
Hoppy Gnome
203 E. Berry St.
(sponsored by Design Collaborative)
Pre-Sculpted Ice Carvings
Pre-sculpted ice carvings can be found at the following locations:
Winter Carnival
A “Winterval” Event
Saturday, January 28, 1:00-4:00 p.m.
Community Center, 233 W. Main St.
Beat the winter blahs by bringing the whole family out for snow crafts and activities, DIY class demos, a candy luge, live ice carving and an entire miniature golf course sculpted from the frozen stuff. And it’s all FREE!
Sponsor the 2023 Winter Carnival! Contact Patti Davis at 260-427-6465.
Winterval’s Warm Heart Market
12:00-5:00 p.m.
The Community Center
233 W. Main Street
Take a break from your Winterval activities and enjoy an afternoon browsing homemade and uniquely hand-crafted items at our Market! Anyone interested in vending at this event, please contact Linda Falater at 260-427-6466 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.for an application.
The Antique Road Show
Community Center, 233 W. Main St.
12-5 pm Free Event
Scavenger Hunt
Enter to win some great Winterval prizes!
Find the 10 letters of the alphabet that have been hidden around the downtown area.
Once you have found all 10 letters, unscramble them to find the word or phrase.
Stop by the Community Center at 233 W. Main St. during the Winter Carnival (1-4 pm) to pick up your prize.
Winterval at the Conservatory
A “Winterval” Event
Saturday, January 28, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m.
Live Ice Carving at 10:00 am
Botanical Conservatory, 1100 S. Calhoun St.
Celebrate the coolest season with the Fort Wayne Parks Department and its Winterval partners! Festivities at the Botanical Conservatory include a live ice carving being sculpted outdoors and on display near the main entrance. Regular admission fees apply to indoor festivities including a Cali-cool craft, a free plant and exploration of the “California Dreamin’” winter exhibit. You are also welcome to come in and enjoy the warmth of Conjure Coffee and the Conservatory Shop.
Check out the: Botanical Conservatory 
Winter Cozy: A "Winterval" Event
Saturday, January 28, 6-10:00 p.m.
Park Foundation Pavilion, Promenade Park, 202 W. Superior
You must be 21 to enter the pavilion where there will be a cash bar and food available for purchase. Tickets may be purchased online at fortwayneparks.org (starting November 2) or at the door ($10). Space is limited.
Winterval Hike and Bonfire
Saturday, January 28, 9-10:30 am, Free
Lindenwood Nature Preserve, 600 Lindenwood Avenue
The forest may look like it’s sleeping in winter, but it’s full of life! Bundle up and enjoy a quiet morning hike in the woods and warm up at the bonfire before you head out for other Winterval activities. This Winterval event is free and open to all ages.
Winterval at the Library
What: Winterval Crafts!
When: Saturday, January 28, 2022 from 3-5 pm
Where: Allen County Public Library, 
Electric Works Market
11 am-3 pm
Participate in a snowflake scavenger hunt and receive hot cocoa and popcorn as the reward (as long as supplies last), a small craft kids can do on-site or take home, and a picture station .
Winterval at the Fort Wayne Curling Club
1-4 pm
Continue your Winterval fun by journeying to the Fort Wayne Curling Club (3837 N. Wells Street) between 1 pm and 4 pm to learn about the Olympic Sport of Curling. Experienced curlers will be on-hand to teach you and your family to deliver the stone, sweep and the rules of the game. Open to those Ages 8-88. Liability waivers must be executed by all participants and/or their parents/guardians.
Winterval at Science Central
10 a.m.-5 p.m., $ 8 admission (on-line), $10 at the door
Science Central, 1950 N. Clinton St.
WHAT: Visit Science Central
WHEN: Saturday, January 28, 20222 from 10am-5pm
WHERE: Science Central, 1950 N. Clinton St.
DESCRIPTION: Explore special Winterval science activities!
Please check out how to purchase tickets prior to visiting Science Central.
Ice Skating at Headwaters Park
333 S Clinton Street
12 a.m.-9 p.m., Regular Admission ($4/$6)
Headwaters Park, 333 South Clinton St.
Public skating
Short ice skating exhibitions at 1:00, 2:00, 3:00 and 4:00 pm.
The Fort Wayne Ice Skating Club (FWISC) was formally incorporated in 1958 and has been a proud member of U.S. Figure Skating ever since. We have produced many national and international competitors and champions through the years, and we have instilled a lifelong love of figure skating in our members and their families. Our coaches provide all levels of off-ice and on-ice training programs and individual lessons for individual skaters, pairs teams, and Theatre on Ice teams. The mission of the FWISC is to promote the sport of figure skating by providing opportunities for competitive and recreational skaters of all ages to expand their skills while developing a life-long love for the sport.
Come and skate with us!
Nuvelle Annee 1743 – A New Year in New France
Saturday, January 28, 10:00 a.m.-5:00 p.m.
It is the dawn of the new year 1743 at Post des Myaamia (Miami). Rumors abound of what the future will bring to the Native Village of Kiihkayonki (Kekionga) and this settlement of French soldiers, civilians, and traders nearby. The trade has been waning over the past year. Goods have been expensive. There is talk of the Iroquis granting land to the English merchants in Ohio. The king has said that soon all trading contracts will be revoked. The posts will instead be auctioned off into the control of rich nobles to try to revitalize the trade. What will this mean for the traders of Post des Myaamia? How will the French deal with the high cost of goods in their relations with the natives of Kiihkayonki? Come see how life goes on at Fort St. Phillippe and Post des Myaamia among the French colonial settlers, soldiers, and their Native American allies.
Heartland Mushers
Headwaters Park, 333 S. Clinton
1:00-4:00 pm.
Free Event
Photo highlights of previous Winterval's!
