Dubuque Festival Embraces Cold Temperatures

The frigid temperatures we will have tonight might not sound so great for many of us, but the extreme cold is a good thing for one event in Dubuque.

The National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium is holding its annual Ice Fest this weekend.

Mark Wagner is surrounded by snow, ice and all things cold. But unlike many of us, he actually enjoys it.

Mark Wagner said, "This is one of my favorite seasons because there are no mosquitoes and don't have to worry about bugs or bug spray or anything like that."

He's the Education Director at the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. He's demonstrating how ice farmers used to harvest ice from the river, a common practice in the late 1800's.

Wagner said, "Years ago, the point of harvesting ice was because most people didn't have refrigerators. They'd have what we call ice boxes."

Wagner prefers to embrace the cold and tries to teach others to the same.

And as a nature lover, he's fascinated by the way animals handle the frigid temperatures.

Wagner said, "The interesting thing about cold weather,especially with the snow,you can see the animal tracks, places where animals have been."

And while you might feel like hibernating as the temperature drops below zero. Wagner will be right here, loving every minute of it.

Ice Fest at the Museum is set for this Saturday and Sunday. It's going on from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.