Lake Country’s One-Stop Spot for All Things WINTER
New Year’s Day is on a Thursday (Jan 1, 2026!!!)
Ash Wednesday is February 18, 2026
2026 is NOT a LEAP Year (Obviously, because it’s not divisible by 4 😉 )
Spring Ahead Time Change is Sunday, March 8th, 2026
St. Patrick’s Day falls on Tuesday, March 17, 2026
Easter is Sunday, April 5, 2026
SNOW ICE CREAM RECIPE
- Winter Fun (Where to ice skate, ski, snowboard, sled, etc…) scroll down this post for all the winter fun! *sponsored by Lake Country Lutheran High School with an open house on January 22, 2025
- Sledding Guide *Sponsored by Bark River Realty
- Snowshoe Guide
- Cross Country Ski Guide
- Ice Rinks Guide *Sponsored by the Mullett Ice Center in Hartland
- Indoor Play Guide *sponsored by Joyosity in Brookfield
- Preschool Guide *sponsored guide, featuring 30+ preschools
- Fish Fry *sponsored by Milford Hills and many other yummy restaurants
- Date Guide – Winter Edition *sponsored by MKE Improv
- Outdoor Dining Guide, featuring winter dome dining options and more, sponsored by Delafield Brewhaus
- New Year’s Eve Guide *Sponsored by Betty Brinn Children’s Museum in Milwaukee
- January Guide *sponsored by University Lake School
- February Fun *sponsored by Bank Five Nine
- March Guide, featuring St. Patrick’s Day fun and more! *sponsored by CelticMKE
- Winter School Closings
- Easter Egg Hunt Guide
Snow day calculator
Click on the image below to access the Snow Day Calculator:
Are you ready for some wintertime fun? We hear a lot of people complain about the snow and cold. I’m one of those people some days. The post-holiday blues are a thing and January and February can seem like the longest months of the year… January 74th anyone?? But, family fun can be found everywhere if you know where to look and switch your mindset!
Lake Country Family Fun believes in finding family fun 365 days a year, even in January and February!! My biggest tip is to find a winter hobby to truly enjoy these months. So, if you’re looking for ideas and inspiration for things to do in Lake Country and the Waukesha County area in the winter, this list is for you! Grab your kids (and maybe a brave grandparent), put a smile on your frozen face, and go enjoy the outdoors even in the wintertime!
Bundle up and have a great time in the snow or on the ice!
If you are looking for winter fun in the Waukesha County or Lake Country area, look no further, this one is for you!
Ski, Ice Skate, Sled, Snowman build and more!
If it’s crazy cold, be sure to check out Lake Country Family Fun’s Indoor Play Guide 😉
Please Thank Our Winter Fun Guide Sponsor:
Lake Country Lutheran High School
Tap the image above to sign up and find all the details on the many programs available for youth at Lake Country Lutheran in summer 2026!
Categories of Winter Fun
Nothing says winter in Wisconsin like ice skating outside! Find outdoor ice skating rinks at Waukesha County parks and other local parks located throughout Lake Country. Be sure to check status before attending as warm weather can cause the rinks to close.
Sometimes winter weather doesn’t cooperate to ice skate outside. It can be too warm or too cold or the worst – rainy! Luckily, there are many indoor ice skating rinks in the Lake Country and Waukesha County area for your family to enjoy!
Sledding is by far our favorite! Our family is lucky to live on a hill, so we just slide down our backyard – but there are many public sledding hills throughout the area, big and small!
See Lake Country Family Fun’s Guide to 22 Sledding Hills for all the details + a map.
There may not be any mountains in Wisconsin, but that doesn’t mean that you have to hop a plane to downhill ski or snowboard. Find many ski hills within an hour of Lake Country. Questions? Comment and ask Stephanie as she has an INDY PASS and frequents many local ski and snowboard hills.
Ausblick Ski Hill
W260N6395 Maryhill Rd, Sussex, WI
Ausblick is a private ski hill in Sussex. Families can purchase memberships and bring guests. Patrons can ski or snowboard.
Little Switzerland Ski Hill
105 Cedar Creek Rd, Slinger, WI
Little Switzerland is open to the public. Guests can purchase season passes or daily passes.
Heiliger Huegel Ski Club
5482 WI-167, Hubertus, WI
Heiliger Huegel Ski Club offers a family-friendly private ski club experience.
Sunburst Winter Sports Park
8355 Prospect Drive, Kewaskum, WI
Sunburst Winter Sports Park offers the public snowboarding, skiing, and tubing.
Alpine Valley Resort
W2501 County Road D, Elkhorn, WI
Alpine Valley Resort offers the public a skiing hill and skiing lessons for children and adults.
Crystal Ridge formerly The Rock Snow Park
7900B W Crystal Ridge Rd., Franklin, WI
Crystal Ridge offers guests skiing, snowboarding, and snow tubing.
The Mountain Top at Grand Geneva Resort & Spa
7036 Grand Geneva Way, Lake Geneva, WI
The Mountain Top offers guests 20 downhill ski runs for children and adults.
Cascade Mountain
W10441 Cascade Mountain Road, Portage, WI
Cascade Mountain offers guests downhill skiing and snow tubing. AND KIDS SKATE FREE!
12 snowshoe trails to stride this winter! Click or tap our Snowshoe Guide to find all you need to know about snowshoe-ing in Wisconsin.
*Gear (where to buy locally as well as through Amazon)
*Where to go
*Where not to go
*Map of trails
Where to Cross-Country Ski in Waukesha County comes in HOT (well, cold actually) with 8 groomed trails. Click or tap our Cross-Country Ski Guide to find all you need to know about these locations (like are there fees, where is the parking and how long are the trails). You can also find out about local resources for rentals and more.
And we LOVE the Lapham Lodge at Lapham Peak for cross country skiers! What a beautiful facility!
If you are looking for snowtubing hills, consider Crystal Ridge in Franklin and Sunburst in Kewaskum. These have admission costs associated for attending.
For a bit of a drive try: Nordic Mountain (Wild Rose), Tyrol Basin (Mt. Horeb) or Cascade Mountain (Portage).
How would we get through winter, without awesome winter events? Don’t miss these family friendly winter events to chase the blues away!
DELAFREEZE
January 10, 2026
NEW BERLIN WINTERFEST
January 10, 2026
WAUKESHA JANBOREE
January 16 through the 25th, 2026
CHILIFEST IN OCONOMOWOC
January 31, 2026
ELM GROVE WINTER FESTIVAL
Not scheduled in 2026
LAKE GENEVA WINTERFEST
January 28-February 1, 2026
TAKE A KID ICE FISHING: Hardwater Freaks Event
February 7, 2026
CEDARBURG WINTER FESTIVAL
February 21-22nd, 2026
LISBON WINTER FUN DAY
Not scheduled in 2026
SLEDDING PARTY IN SUSSEX – NOW LOVE Your Village Weekend
Not scheduled in 2026
ICE CASTLES LAKE GENEVA
Not coming to Wisconsin this 2026 winter due to our warm temps the past few winters.
