Fire And Ice Winter Festival
3 Days Of Arts And Athletics In Nevada’s Best Mountain Town
History
Nevada’s Most Creative Winter Festival
How We Got Started
Fire and Ice began in 2003 and has been a long standing winter tradition in White Pine County. Regardless of weather we invite everyone to get out of their cabins and join the community in fun, festivities, and fireworks every 3rd weekend in January during MLK Holiday.
The Arts
Fire and Ice started out as an arts festival with it’s annual Ice Sculpting competition. Teams compete for thousands in prize money and have 3 days to create mind blowing creations on the ice at Cave Lake State Park. But that’s not all, community art projects are going on throughout the town. Nobody wants to miss the fireworks train or the burning of the sculpture after. We are always adding and welcoming artistic participation.
The Athletics
Winter is the perfect time to recreate in the mountains. Fire and Ice host competitions like the Ely Birkenbeiner, which has has XC ski, snowshoe, and fat bike events. Guided hikes and have an ice skating rink take place at Cave Lake State Park We also have Ice Bowling, Ice Horseshoes, and Ice Disc Golf. For those wanting to compete indoors we have bowling, darts, billiards, and more.
The Party
After a day of events, the party is always in downtown Ely. Warm your spirits downtown with drink specials, live music, and karaoke.
Schedule Of Events
Fire and Ice Winter Festival
January 16-18, 2026
The Fire and Ice Winter Festival is a celebration of all that White Pine County offers during the winter months. The community-wide festival features multiple events throughout the area for people of all ages. Locations include Nevada Northern Railway, Downtown businesses, Ward Mtn Recreation Area. Bring the entire family down for activities around sports, arts, food and drink, tournaments, live music and more. Snow Sculptures are entirely dependent on the weather. TEAMS INTERESTED IN COMPETING IN EVENTS SHOULD CONTACT THE CONVENTION CENTER at (775) 296-6495. Interested in hosting an event or tournament? Contact Us!
Friday January 16th –
9am-4:30pm, Desert Rose Ceramics: Open Ceramics Painting
11am-4:30pm: White Pine Public Museum is Open!
3:30pm-4:30pm, Downtown Ely: Mural Walking Tour, Meet at Economy Drug
6:30pm, Bristlecone Convention Center: FREE Concert, feat. Runaway Fire
CalTech DSA 2000 Space Trivia w/ Prizes During Band Set Breaks
Saturday, January 17th –
8am, Ward Mtn. Recreation Area: Ely Outdoor Enthusiasts Bristlecone Birkebeiner Winter Fest
9am-4:30pm, Desert Rose Ceramics: Open Ceramics Painting
11am-4:30pm: White Pine Public Museum is Open!
12:00pm-5:00pm, Shooters Bar & Grill: Pool Tournament
1:00pm, Nevada Northern Railway: Train Excursion through Robinson Canyon
1:00pm-4:00pm, Sunset Lanes Bowling Center: Bowling Tournament
2:00pm, Ely Central Theater: Feature Length Movie
4:30pm-8:00pm, Outpost Bar: Pool Tournament
6:00pm, Nevada Northern Railway: Fireworks Off the Back of the Train
7:00pm, Nevada Northern Railway: Art Sculpture Bonfire, A Food Truck Will Be Parked & Open
7:00pm, Nevada Northern Railway: CalTech DSA 2000 Stargazing Station w/ Professional-Grade Telescopes
7:00pm, Ely Central Theater: Feature Length Movie
8:00pm, Outpost Bar: Karaoke!!!
Sunday, January 18th –
8:00am, Broadbent Park: Art Contest Begins!!!
9:00am, Cave Lake State Park: Morning Hike
11am-4:30pm: White Pine Public Museum is Open!
11:00am-3:00pm, Broadbent Park: A Food Truck Will Be Parked & Open
11:00am-3:00pm, Broadbent Park: CalTech DSA 2000 Daytime Sun Telescopes Set Up for Viewing
11:00am-3:00pm, Broadbent Park: Ice Horseshoe Tournament
11:00am-3:00pm, Broadbent Park: Cornhole Tournament, Must Register Before Event, Call (775) 296-6495
2:00pm, Broadbent Park: Ice Sculpture Contest Ends & Displays Are Ready For Judging!
2:00pm, Ely Central Theater: Feature Length Movie
5:00pm, Outpost Bar: Sip and Paint Night
5:30pm, Broadbent Park: Fireworks Display presented by Great Basin Pyrotechnics
6:30pm, Veterans Park, Ely: Nighttime Glow Disc Golf Tournament, Sign-Up in Advance, Call (775) 289-3720
7:00pm, Ely Central Theater: Feature Length Movie
Team
Event Coordinators
White Pine County Tourism and Recreation Board
Community Organizers