Being a native to the Midwest, I understand the struggle of dealing with festival withdrawal. Our region was not blessed with warm temperatures year round like the South and West Coast. So Midwesterners must rely on indoor events to feed any dance music addictions. While these events host some big name DJ’s and stellar production features, nobody feeds the want for a two-three day festival….well that’s what most think. Let me introduce to Wisconsin’s little secret, Winter Warmer.
Winter Warmer is the Midwest’s only two-day indoor hotel festival and January 30th will mark it’s fourth year. The past three years, the event has taken place in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin at the Olympia Resort. This year the festival has moved to the Marriott in Madison for a bigger venue with more affordable, higher quality rooms.
I was lucky enough to attend Winter Warmer last year after a close friend had invited me. Tickets were cheap, so we made the trek from Chicago with really no idea of what to expect. We walked into something unforgettable. Winter Warmer featured eight rooms filled with music, sick light instillations, vendors galore, interesting workshops, and plenty of room for dancing/gloving/hooping. It was like a playground.
The best part is the lineup. Winter Warmer not only features local talent but hosts a lot of emerging DJ’s who are now blowing up the scene. Their past lineup’s have featured artists such as Paper Diamond, Gramatik, Griz, The M Machine, Butch Clancy, Justin Long, and Dieselboy just to name a few. This year Winter Warmer has released The Floozies, Boombox, and heRobust as their headliners.
Although Early Bird tickets are sold out, GA tickets are only $70. That’s right, $70 for TWO DAYS. Partygoers can also attend a pre-party, which costs a mere $15. I highly suggest attending this festival to not only catch some emerging artists in an intimate setting, but to see what Wisconsin’s scene has to offer. Save the date for Jan 30, 31, and Feb 1.
Watch last year’s recap and don’t miss out on what this year has to offer.
Share On
![Gem & Jam 2023: A Desert Oasis of Music, Art, and Community [Event Review]](https://whiteraverraft.wpenginepowered.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_2308-1-scaled.jpeg)
