Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. and partners will host a full slate of winter activities at the 1st annual Snow Days festival kicking off February 10, 2017.

The 5-day festival is designed to take advantage of Michigan's cold climate, provide fun ways for people to get outside and enjoy the season, and help make Grand Rapids a better winter city, which makes Grand Rapids a better year-around city.

Snow Days comprises three distinct free- and low-cost events that each feature a wide variety of activities for both families and adults:

• Valent-ICE, organized around Valentine's Day, celebrates love and winter in Downtown. Among other activities the event features:
  • 50+ unique sculptures that turn Downtown GR into a gallery of ice art. The sculptures total 17 tons of ice and include a life-sized Muhammad Ali, a space shuttle and a 5,000 lb sculpture determined by community voting which runs January 18-25.
  • Walking and running tours
  • Live ice-carving events
  • Games and special libations served at the Downtown Market's special Ice Bar.

• Rail Jam is a ski and snowboard competition in Ah-Nab-Awen Park. The event features free sledding and open riding for skiers and snowboarders.

• The Human Hungry Hungry Hippos tournament features real people munching marbles on the ice at Rosa Parks Circle in the spirit of the classic tabletop game.

Downtown Grand Rapids Inc. organizes Snow Days in partnership with dozens of community partners, local businesses and sponsors, including Ice Brigade, AGA Nation, AHC+ Hospitality, Craig's Cruisers, the Grand Rapids Public Museum, WOOD TV 8 and the City of Grand Rapids.

#SnowDaysGR is the official social media hash tag for the events.

Here's the full schedule of Snow Days activities. All events start and end at Rosa Parks Circle unless otherwise noted: