
FEBRUARY 3 & 4, 2023
Countdown to KIF Kick-Off 2023!
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WHAT IS THE KNICKERBOCKER ICE FESTIVAL?
The Knickerbocker Ice Festival is a community event named after a company that harvested ice from Rock Lake in the early 1900’s.
The Ice House may be long gone… but each February, Legendary Lake Mills hosts a weekend full of indoor and outdoor events to connect Lake Mills with that icy past.
Come enjoy activities for the whole family in frozen Lake Mills!

GRACIOUSLY SPONSORED BY THESE LAKE MILLS BUSINESSES:
With Safe Ride Sponsored by Badger Chevrolet Buick AND Topel’s Towing & Repair, Inc.
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS
Click below to find more details on each Knickerbocker Ice Festival activity! When available, links to sign up or registration forms are available.
At the bottom of the page, find a map showing the locations of all the various activities!
Annual 50/50 Cash Raffle
TIME: Tickets will be on sale through Saturday, February 4, 2023, at various businesses and on the street. The drawing will be held at Lewis Station Winery (217 N Main Street) at 2:30 pm on Sunday, February 5.
LOCATION: Get your tickets prior to the event at The Fharmacy Public House, Lake Mills Vet Clinic, Lewis Station Winery, Sunshine Brewing, TT’s Time Out, Tyranena Brewing Company or the Legendary Lake Mills office. You can also get tickets from our roving ticket sellers on Saturday, February 4th!
COST: $5 each or 5 for $20
INFO: The winning ticket number will be posted online and the drawing will be shown, LIVE, at facebook.com/legendarylakemills. Need not be present to win!
RULES/FORMS: None
SPONSORS:
OTHER KNICKERBOCKER WEEKEND SPECIALS & ACTIVITIES!


Crawfish Junction Food Truck Parked in the lot of the former Sentry building at 105 S Madison Street
A local favorite in a food truck, Crawfish Junction will be serving on Saturday from 11 am to 2 pm. Cheese curds, jambalaya and fried pork wings will be on the menu; hot coco and cider too!
Candlelight Kick-Off Showshoe & Ski
TIME: Friday, 2/3/23, 6 to 7:30 pm
LOCATION: Korth County Park, W8390 Korth Lane
COST: Free
INFO: Enjoy snowshoeing in a whole new light! After your hike, relax next to the fire pit! Adult and youth size snowshoes will be provided by the Lake Mills Recreation Department free of charge, first come first serve. Complementary hot beverages will be provided by Fort HealthCare. This event is a partnership between Jefferson County Parks, Fort HealthCare, and the Lake Mills Recreation Department.
RULES/FORMS: None
SPONSORS:
Free Euchre Tournament at The Fharmacy Public House
TIME: Friday, 2/3/23, 7 to 10 pm
LOCATION: The Fharmacy Public House, 203 N Main Street
COST: Free
INFO: Kick off the 2023 Knickerbocker Ice Festival with a Euchre Tournament at Tyranena’s The Fharmacy Public House. The first 36 people to register, can play. No partner necessary; players will rotate tables and teammates.
RULES/FORMS: Sign up online at https://2023-euchre-tyranena.eventbrite.com. Official tournament rules available here!
SPONSOR:
Legendary Lake Mills FUNdraiser Trivia at Pyramid Event Venue
TIME: Friday, 2/3/23, 7 to 10 pm
LOCATION: Pyramid Event Venue, 117 S Main Street
COST: $10 per player
INFO: Join us for a fun night of trivia, laughs and friendly competition! Our friends at Premier Trivia will make sure everyone has a great time. This is a FUNdraiser for Legendary Lake Mills: Chamber Main Street Organization! Cost is $10 per player, and there will be cash prizes of $100, $75, $50 for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place. Not only will there be cash prizes, but winners will also be taking home a traveling trophy and bragging rights!
RULES/FORMS: To sign up reserve a table at Pyramid Event Venue!
SPONSOR:
Lake Mills Area Safe Ride!
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23 from 3 pm to Sunday, 2/5/23, at 2:30 am
LOCATION: Pickup Spots Yet To Be Determined
COST: Free
INFO: Live in Lake Mills? Call or text 920-605-0112 for a free & safe ride home! (Please DO NOT use Topel’s towing phone number for rides…)
Make sure to have the following information for yourself or group (do not make arrangements for others not traveling with you):
– Name
– Cell Phone Number
– Pickup Location (in Lake Mills)
– Drop Off Location (in Lake Mills)
Once confirmed, please be waiting and ready! Drivers will only wait 2 minutes before moving on!
Rides begin at 3 pm and run until 2:30 am. Most riders are able to be picked up within 5-10 minutes (aside from at the end of the night).
Also, the Lake Mills Police Department will NOT be enforcing overnight parking regulations on Main Street, Lake Shore Drive or Ferry Drive from Saturday night (2/4/23) into Sunday morning (2/5/23). You don’t have to worry about getting a parking ticket if you leave your car and come back to get it in the morning, once sober, so please use the SAFE RIDE to get home safely!!
RULES/FORMS: ABSOLUTELY POSITIVELY NO CARRYOUTS. Drivers will NOT jeopardize safety, laws, and the opportunity to provide this community service in the future. Drivers reserve the right to refuse service. Please behave and be respectful!
SPONSORS:
Ice Fisheree on Rock Lake
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23 – 6 am to 3 pm; door prize drawings begin at approximately 4:15 pm at the American Legion.
LOCATION: Fish any where on Rock Lake!
COST: $10.00 Entry Fee (ONLINE REGISTRATION ONLY)
INFO: Have your best fish tallied; top winners receive CASH PRIZES: $250, $150, $125, $75. Call 920-723-7032 to submit your fish!
Sign up ends at 7 am on 2/4/23, the day of the Fisheree.
After the fisheree ends, join the fun at the American Legion for door prizes and camaraderie!
Call Max Zastrow at 920-723-7032 for scoring or more information!
REGISTER: Sign up online at https://llm-knickerbocker2023.eventbrite.com!
RULES:
SPONSOR:
Iceberg Open Golf on Rock Lake
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23
Assigned Tee Times at 8:30 am / 10 am / 11:30 am / 1 pm
LOCATION: Play begins at Bartel’s Beach, 210 S Ferry Dr
COST: $15.00 Entry Fee per person
INFO: Register in person at TT’s Time Out, 107 S Main St. 9-holes, best ball format tournament. Bring your own club; ball is provided! Door prizes awarded. Teams of 4.
RULES/FORMS: Click here to download a registration form, with rules included. If you download and complete a registration form, you must turn it in to TT’s Time Out. TT’s also has printed registration forms.
SPONSOR:
Live Ice Carvings


TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23 – Carving begins at 9 am
LOCATIONS: Downtown Lake Mills; Lake, Main & Madison Streets
COST: Free
INFO: Watch talented ice carvers chisel huge blocks of ice into great designs in front of many local businesses; all over downtown!
RULES/FORMS: None
SPONSORS: Sculptures will be in front of each business location unless otherwise noted. 26 sculptures!
Thank you to our Ice Sculpture sponsors:
Badger Chevrolet Buick
Bank of Lake Mills
Bugaboodles / Bugaboodles, Too!
Chapter 2 Incorporated
Corner Mercantile & Doyle’s Dogs
Countryside Jewelry
Crystal Farms Dairy Co
CV Hair Co
Daydream Believer Books & Gifts
Ephraim Pottery
Farmers & Merchants State Bank
Greenwoods State Bank
Laura’s Real Estate Group
Legendary Lake Mills
Lewis Station Winery
Fargo Building Businesses (Candorem, Edward Jones, Joseph Peiffer CPA, Neuberger, Griggs, Sweet & Froehle, LLP)
RE/MAX Community Realty
Rubbish Restyled
Sanft Accounting
Sportsman’s Pub on the Park
St. Gabriel the Archangel Parish
Sunshine Brewing Co
Tech Solutions
TT’s Timeout
Tyranena’s The Fharmacy Public House
Wallflower Market
Cornhole Tournament at The Fharmacy
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/22 – Cornhole check-in and practice beginning at 10 am; tournament play begins at 11 am. Plenty of room to get warm inside; open from 10 am to 11 pm.
LOCATION: The Fharmacy Public House, Parking lot adjacent to 203 N. Main Street. Please note the ENTIRE tournament is held outdoors! (Dress accordingly!)
COST: $40 per 2-person team (32 teams, maximum), which includes entry fee and 1 pint per player. Players must be 21 years or older to enter and play. There are no refunds permitted.
INFO: Register online! (SOLD OUT) Any spectators and non-players may purchase beer for cash. CASH PRIZES FOR TOP TEAMS! See rules for more details!
SPECTATORS WELCOME!! Warm up at The Fharmacy (aka the “old pharmacy” downtown) and grab your favorite tasty, Tyranena beer! YUM!
We’ll also have this year’s ICEHENGE beer on draft!
RULES/FORMS: ONLINE REGISTRATION IS SOLD OUT | RULES & TIMES Check out the Facebook Event for the tournament as well!
SPONSOR:
Ice Softball on Rock Lake
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23 – Check in at 8:30 am; play ends before sunset
LOCATION: Play begins at Bartel’s Beach, 210 S Ferry Drive (North); Team Captains check-in at 8:30 am at Sunshine Brewing.
COST: $10.00 per person (9 – 12 players per team)
INFO: Slide (across the ice) into home plate! Get a team together and register online. (If you can’t get an entire team together, email and see if there are any other teamless players!)
RULES/FORMS:
Sign up online at https://llm-knickerbocker2023.eventbrite.com!
SPONSOR:
LEGENDARY ICE BAR
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23, from 10 am to 2 pm
LOCATION: Enter ice near Bartel’s Beach; 210 S Ferry Dr.
COST: Retail for beverages (Free to check out!)
INFO: Grab a pint of local beer from Tyranena Brewing Company and Sunshine Brewing Company or a glass of wine from Lewis Station! Beverages are cash only and $7 each.
RULES/FORMS: None
SPONSOR:
Coronation of 2023 Knickerbocker Royalty
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23 – 11 am
LOCATION: Coronation begins at TT’s Time Out, 107 S Main St.
COST: Free
INFO: Celebrate the reign of our new Knickerbocker Royalty! Here ye! Here ye
Each year at the Knickerbocker Ice Festival, Lake Mills Royalty is chosen to be coronated and recognized for the day. Those chosen for royalty are special folks within the community to be celebrated. This year The Watson Family of the former Watson Ace Hardware has been chosen as our 2023 Knickerbocker Royalty!
During the Watson’s time in Lake Mills, they have made a hugely positive impact on the community! Watson Ace Hardware hosted multiple community fundraisers with all of the money going straight back to local organizations. Many times, Brian would step up and sponsor Legendary Lake Mills events. Not only were there financial donations, but quite often the Watson Family could be found volunteering with smiles on their faces!
Brian also spent time on committees and as a member of many local organizations. He served on the board of the Lake Mills Main Street Program and the former Lake Mills Chamber of Commerce as well as serving on the board and as President for both the Lake Mills Rotary Club and Lake Mills Area Community Foundation!
Join us for the the official coronation ceremony that will be conducted Saturday, Feb. 3 at 11 a.m. at TT’s Timeout in conjunction with the Knickerbocker festivities!
RULES/FORMS: None
SPONSOR:
Optimist Ice Skating Party
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23, 11 am to 1 pm (assuming ice can be made)
LOCATION: Commons Park, 100 N Main Street
COST: Free
INFO: Skate in our picturesque Commons Park! The Lake Mills Optimists and Junior Optimists invite you to the Optimists’ Annual Ice Skating Party in Commons Park! Children should bring their ice skates (or boots) to join in the fun & games. Challenge prizes and light refreshments will be provided. Each child will receive a coupon for a free hot dog from Doyle’s Dogs! We look forward to seeing you at the rink!
RULES/FORMS: None
SPONSORS: The Lake Mills’ Optimist Club & Doyle’s Dogs
3rd Annual Chilly Chili Warmup
Knickerbocker Ice Wine Release
TIME: 2/4/23, 12 to 8 pm
LOCATION: Lewis Station Winery, 217 N Main Street (also available at Stable Rock Winery & Distillery in Jefferson)
COST: Retail, $25 per bottle
INFO: The Knickerbocker Ice Wine is made with the Riesling grape, out of Canada, picked after the first freeze and has notes of honey, peach, sweet citrus and marmalade. This wine is released in February of every year during the Knickerbocker ice festival.
RULES/FORMS: None, check out their Facebook event for more information!
SPONSOR:
Family Games: Snowball Eating Contest, IdiderDAD & Fish Toss
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23 – Begins at 1 pm
LOCATION: Commons Park, 100 N Main Street
COST: Free
INFO: Kids & adults compete in the Snowball Eating Contest (how fast can you eat a ball of fro-yo?), The IdiderDAD (an obstacle course completed while towing a child in a sled) & Fish Toss (literally throwing frozen fish). Winners by age group!
RULES/FORMS: None
SPONSORS:
Fat Bike Fun Ride
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23 – Start at 12 pm
LOCATION: Begins at The Hub Cafe & Sport, 128 E Madison Street
COST: Free
INFO: Grab your bike & your gear and join us for the Annual Knickerbocker Fat Bike Ride!
Need to know:
- Pre-ride & post ride shenanigans to take place
- Free!
- Helmets required
- Dress warm, it will be cold
- under 18 will need to be accompanied by an adult
RULES/FORMS: Sign up online at https://llm-knickerbocker2023.eventbrite.com!
SPONSOR:
Knickerbocker Winter Ale Release
TIME: Saturday, 2/4/23
LOCATION: Sunshine Brewing Company, 121 S Main St
COST: Retail
INFO: Annual release of this seasonal beer!
RULES/FORMS: None
SPONSOR: Sunshine Brewing Company