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Lake Geneva's Winterfest: Frozen canvas, cool creativity

Photo

Photo by Terry Mayer

Photo by File photo

Snow sculptors can work almost all through the night on their blocks of ice at Lake Geneva's Winterfest. The 18th annual celebration is scheduled from Wed., Jan. 30, through Sun., Feb. 3, at the Riviera in downtown Lake Geneva.

Lake Geneva is an annual winter destination for Don Berg of Winter Fund Inc. The Shorewood man organizes events worldwide, including the annual snow sculpting competition that begins Wednesday along the lakefront in Lake Geneva. Terry Mayer file photo.

LAKE GENEVA -- Don Berg tapped into his inner artistic talents during grade school, eventually expanding those skills and interests into myriad expressive formats, which have included painting with pastels and acrylics and drawing.

However, Berg, 69, opened a whole new creative world when he entered a third dimension.

“My forte always was my ability to draw, but over time I developed talents in a pretty vast scope of mediums,” the Shorewood resident said. “All of the two-dimensional stuff is fine and provided the backbone, but it wasn’t until I got into three-dimensional art in the early 1980s and discovered an interest for working with ice.

“I went down to the lakefront in the Milwaukee harbor and played around with a 400-pound block of ice,” said Berg, a Montana native who moved to Wisconsin in the ’50s. “But I still wasn’t satisfied, and that’s how it grew to a much larger scale and the snow and ice sculpting projects.”

He formed Winter Fun Inc., a business venture that has helped organize events worldwide, and that includes Lake Geneva’s Winterfest. The 18th annual celebration is scheduled from Wednesday, Jan. 30, through Sunday, Feb. 3, at the Riviera in downtown Lake Geneva.

And its signature drawing card, the U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Competition, will help bring tens of thousands of visitors to the lakefront and nearby activities.

“We bring in 15 teams of three members each, plus all of the people to set up, those to assist the teams, people for judging … we pretty much take over Bella Vista Suites ...” Berg said. “We treat the teams like best friends and VIPs. But this event has become the standard by which other events operate.”

David Andrews and Scott Triplett are two winter recreational enthusiasts who would agree. Andrews is a Lake Geneva competition veteran, while Triplett is one of the rookies. Needless to say, both are looking forward to the busy weekend.

Andrews works for Conrad Schmitt Studios in New Berlin and lives in the Milwaukee area. He has competed in Lake Geneva with several teams and will be joining Jason Anhorn and Stephen Bateman of Eau Claire on one of two Wisconsin entries in the field.

Read the complete story in the Jan. 27 print or e-edition of Walworth County Sunday.

Winterfest

Jan. 28 and Jan. 29

-- Building of the 9-foot snow blocks, Riviera Park

Jan. 30 through Feb. 2

-- 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., sculpting teams at work, Riviera Park

Feb. 2

-- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., children’s sculpting, wagon and helicopter rides, tethered hot air balloon rides and sleigh on wheel rides at Riviera Park and lakefront

-- 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Riviera Marketplace featuring food, entertainment, etc., Riviera Ballroom

-- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free shuttle service from parking at Petco (Wisconsin Highway 50 and Edwards Boulevard) to drop off/pick up at Mill Creek Hotel on Center Street

-- 11 a.m., noon, 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., live entertainment, Riviera Ballroom

-- 11 a.m., sculpting ends

-- 11 a.m to 2 p.m., People’s Choice Award voting

-- 3 p.m., U.S. National Snow Sculpting awards presentation, Riviera Ballroom

Feb. 3

-- All day, viewing of finished sculptures, Riviera Park

-- 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., Riviera Marketplace, Riviera Ballroom

-- 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., free shuttle service from parking at Petco (Wisconsin Highway 50 and Edwards Boulevard) to drop off/pick up at Mill Creek Hotel on Center Street

-- For more information, call the Geneva Lake Area Chamber of Commerce at (800) 345-1020 or (262) 248-4416 or go online to www.lakegenevawi.com or www.usnationals.org

Read the complete story in the Jan. 27 e-edition of Walworth County Sunday HERE.