A Message from Our Committee

This February, downtown Geneva will come alive with the sparkle of ice, light, and community spirit during Winterfest Geneva.

Winterfest will transform downtown and beyond into a vibrant winter destination—filled with ice sculptures, art, wine, music, food, and family-friendly fun. The goal is simple but powerful: to bring warmth and energy to Geneva during one of the coldest, quietest times of the year, and to work together to make our community a true winter destination.

This event is part of a larger effort to strengthen our community—by aligning our businesses, cultural venues, and city partners in new ways that create shared success. February can be a challenging month for sales and foot traffic, but together, we can change that.

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HOW YOU CAN PARTICIPATE

We invite every business to be part of Winterfest by:

• Hosting a special offering or experience any day between the 8th and 20th of February—something fun, creative, or unique that brings people through your doors or displays your wares or trade. Ideas include face painting, arts and crafts, open mics, special tastings, family workshops, winter-themed food and drink specials, and more. All ideas are welcome, and we look forward to hearing them. Contact the BID to learn more.
• Decorating your storefront with the Winterfest theme: “Winter Animals — Celebrate the Season Together.”
• Promoting your event or special through the shared Winterfest calendar on the Geneva BID website (above!), social media, and coordinated citywide marketing campaign.

The more activity we create together, the more energy, visitors, and excitement we’ll bring to our city.

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WINTERFEST RESTAURANT WEEKS

We are excited to launch the first-ever Winterfest Restaurant Weeks, running throughout the entire duration of Winterfest (February 6–22).

This special dining program will include participating restaurants in downtown Geneva as well as the greater Geneva area.

Program Requirements:
• Register with the program to be included in all promotional activity
• Create a Winterfest Restaurant Week Menu, featuring a special discount, prix fixe menu, or value offering
• Provide us with the following: Contact Name, Email, Phone Number, and a PNG Business Logo. Participants may contact the BID or Venifera/FLX Goods for more information.

Restaurants may continue offering their existing Valentine’s Day menus or events as planned—Restaurant Weeks is designed to expand opportunities, not replace current traditions. As such, please feel free to send us information about your Valentine’s Day specials, too.

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WINTERFEST CARNIVAL

For the culmination of this even, we are hosting the first major Winterfest Carnival, a full day and evening of activities throughout downtown Geneva.

With the ice sculptures glowing along the streetscape, the day will feature:

·       Fun winter activities for kids

·       A special “Ice Hole” Championship Event

·       Seasonal and winter-themed vendors

·       Live animals

·       Live music and radio broadcast

·       Prizes from the Winterfest raffle drawing

·       Interactive displays, and more

We encourage downtown businesses to consider extending operating hours and offering special activities, tastings, sales, or in-store experiences to help make this signature celebration a highlight of Winterfest.

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SPECIAL OPPORTUNITY: ICE SCULPTURES FOR YOUR BUSINESS, ORGANIZATION, OR BENEFICIARY

As a signature feature of Winterfest, we are installing beautiful, illuminated ice sculptures throughout downtown—each depicting a different winter animal and featuring the business sponsor’s logo. Not only that, but sculptures are available for purchase by organizations, community partners, as donations on behalf of a party, and locals alike. Thanks to sponsor support, each sculpture is available for just $200. You may find the order form below, along with instructions to submit.

Each sculpture includes:
• A professionally carved winter animal
• Your business logo etched into the ice
• A color-changing light base

For even more impact, Ice Luges are available for $325—ideal for bars, restaurants, and special events. Sculptures will be installed beginning around February 18, weather permitting (and will stay up until they begin to melt!).

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Whatever Punxsutawney Phil predicts this year, Geneva will cast its own light—celebrating the season, embracing the cold, and filling our community with color, creativity, and joy.

To register for Restaurant Weeks, reserve an ice sculpture or ice luge, or participate in Winterfest programming, please contact:

Sydney Schumacher
Executive Director, Geneva BID
Email: info@genevanybid.com
Phone: (315) 789-0102

Let’s make February in Geneva bright, festive, and full of life—together.
Warm regards,

Jim Cecere
Chair, Winterfest 2026

Sydney Schumacher
Executive Director, Geneva BID

OUR SPONSORS

We are grateful for the generous support of our Winterfest sponsors: