Are you looking for something to do on that chilly winter day? Instead of sitting at home watching it snow head to downtown Alpena and enjoy one of the many fun winter activities!

• Ice Fishing – Before you head out on the Thunder Bay River or Lake Huron make sure the ice is safe to be on by spudding some holes along the way! As long as it’s safe you can pop up your shanty and try and catch one of the many species of fish located in the river and the lake! Stop by Clem’s Bait & Tackle to get your license and any other fishing needs, and grab a coffee beforehand from Cabin Creek, Biggby Coffee or Friendly Foodees so you can stay warm while trying to catch your next meal!

• Go to Sanctuary Cinema – Going to the movies any time of the year is always fun, but when it’s cold outside you can really appreciate the comfortable heated seats the theater offers! Check out their website to see what movies are playing.

• Cozy Crawl- Be sure to head downtown on Saturday January 25th from 11am-5pm to partake in our first ever Cozy Crawl event! Spend a cozy day downtown strolling through local shops and galleries offering special promotions, sip a warm drink at your favorite downtown cafe, sample hot cocoa… and wear your PJ’s for special deals! Complete five activities from our Cozy Crawl activity card and be entered to win Downtown Dollars. For more information on this event and a list of all the promotions click here!

• Alpena Ice Festival – On Saturday February 15th from 11am-8pm you can go to Mich-e-kewis park to enjoy many activities for kids, ice sculptures, police vs fire broomball and much more! Then you can head downtown to watch or participate in the Polar Plunge on 2nd Ave that helps raise funds for Special Olympics of Michigan and check out the dazzling ice sculptures. For a full schedule of events and more information click here!

• Grab a bite to eat – If you’ve been bored in the house all day just watching it snow, take a ride to downtown Alpena and enjoy a good warm meal or fresh cup of soup from one of the many bars and restaurants we have to choose from! For a full list of bars and restaurants downtown click here!

• Take a walk downtown – You might not think taking a walk in the winter is very fun, but on a nice sunny winter day it can be quite enjoyable! You can walk along the Alpena Bi-Path which is a paved 18.5-mile-long pathway that takes you throughs Alpena’s scenic parks and along the Thunder Bay River and the Lake. On your walk you may even see a Red Fox cross the icy river!