The annual Okoboji Winter Games are underway in northwest Iowa. Great Lakes Area Chamber of Commerce director Blain Andera says the games are on despite the warmer weather.
“We have however, moved a few of the events off of the ice. And those are just events that people would have already pre-registered for,” Andera. He doesn’t mind having a little warm weather. “This was quite the opposite from what we had last year, you know, it was about 10 below last year with a stiff northwest wind, and it was just bitter out there,” Andera says. “This year, we’re running around in hoodies and staying plenty warm with that.”
He says they get between 30 and 40,000 people who attend the games. “A lot of the hotels are full the restaurants are, , you know, going to be jam packed. And we actually have several businesses and restaurants that open up just for the weekend that are seasonal, that are typically closed in the wintertime,” he says. “So it’s a huge boost, to our local economy. And you know, for some of those businesses, this is actually a bigger than the Fourth of July for them.”
Andera says everyone has a great time. “It’s so fun to see everybody come out of their houses. And you know, it’s been a long January and people are ready to get out and do something and gosh, we’re just happy that they come here and spend some time in the Iowa Great Lakes with us,” Andera says. He has a few favorite activities, including watching the giant kites. “They are, you know, 40, 50, 60, 100 feet long kites that these professional fliers come in and deal with. It’s really quite amazing,” he says. “And then the other spectator sport that I like is the polar plunge. I’ve never done it myself. But it’s fun to see all the people line up and do that.”
Andera says the Okoboji Games help out the businesses, but they also support other organizations. “A lot of the events are fundraisers for nonprofits in the area. So like the Polar Plunge for instance, the proceeds from that go to Arnold’s Park and Okoboji underwater search and rescue and their fire departments. So you know, there’s a lot of nonprofits that actually benefit from this event as well as the businesses that get a boost in the arm from the economy,” he says. Andera says they have lots of indoor events to go with the outdoor activities.
The games run through Sunday and you can find a complete listing of the events at uofowintergames.com.