At 8:45 a.m. this Saturday, November 7, the main field of the 37th Bell's Iceman Cometh Challenge leaves Kalkaska Airport and heads west. Once the field rolls out, the race moves on toward its finish. All 30 miles point toward Timber Ridge Resort outside Traverse City, and that is where the riders, the finish line and most of the afternoon end up.
For anyone who lives here, that schedule shapes the whole day. Kalkaska hosts the biggest crowd of the race for a single morning. At 10 a.m., the town's own Saturday begins at Northland Plaza, where Santa, his reindeer and a display of decorated trees are raising money for a food pantry that serves Kalkaska and Antrim counties.
8:45 a.m. at Kalkaska Airport
The scale is the first thing to know. UpNorthLive reported that more than 5,000 adults and 300 children are taking part across this year's events. The main race has been full since early March. Most of those adults line up in Kalkaska. According to the official 2026 registration page, the main Iceman and the Tandem division both start at 8:45 a.m. EST, and both are sold out.
From the airport, the course described on iceman.com runs about 30 miles to Timber Ridge and crosses Williamsburg Road at mile 17. Williamsburg Road is close to the halfway point, so the leaders reach it fairly soon after the start. Spend your morning watching at the airport and you'll see the full field together, the one time all day it's in one place.
Here is how the race day is split up, using the official schedule:
| Event | Start time | Where it starts |
|---|---|---|
| Main Iceman and Tandem | 8:45 a.m. | Kalkaska Airport |
| Meijer Slush Cup, 8 to 10 miles | 8:15 a.m. | Starts and finishes at Timber Ridge Resort |
| Juniors | Noon | Per official race listing |
| Pop-Cycle kids' race, 1.5 miles | 2:30 p.m. | Timber Ridge Resort |
| Pro/Elite | 2:30 p.m. | Per official race listing |
| Meijer Sno-Cone kids' race, half mile | 3:00 p.m. | Timber Ridge Resort |
The rows that list a place mostly say Timber Ridge. The Kalkaska row is the first one, and it happens early.
Where the afternoon goes
The family part of Iceman happens at the far end of the course. The official kids' race page says the Sno-Cone and Pop-Cycle are both held at Timber Ridge Resort. Both are free this year, each is capped at 300 riders, and both are run with Norte Youth Cycling. The Slush Cup is the shorter adult option for riders who want the experience without the 30 miles, and it also starts and finishes at Timber Ridge.
Kat Paye, the race's executive director, invited non-racers to come watch the afternoon events. She told UpNorthLive:
"Even if you're not racing, come cheer them on; it is an incredible race. It is a fantastic day to see northern Michigan mountain bikers come out. See the kids, watch them race in the afternoon."
A Kalkaska family that wants to see the kids' races is driving to Timber Ridge. Families staying home have their own event, and it starts at 10 a.m.
The race's money is spread across the region
The Iceman takes place in early November for a reason that has to do with the tourism calendar. Nick Nerbonne, communications director for Traverse City Tourism, told 9&10 News that the race fills hotel rooms, restaurants, grocery stores and bike shops "in between that fall color season and the skiing snowboard season when the snow flies." Organizers put the race's regional economic impact at about $6.7 million, a figure that comes from a 2023 study.
That figure covers the whole region. Nerbonne said the spending reaches beyond race day itself, because visitors arrive early and stay afterward. With the finish line, the afternoon races and the post-race crowd all near Traverse City, much of that stay-after spending happens at that end of the course. Kalkaska's part in the race lasts a few hours. The same 9&10 story says local trail organizations and volunteers help design and maintain the course, and Paye told the station, "We could not do this without them." UpNorthLive reported that thousands of volunteers help with the race year-round and that the race still wants more.
That's why the rest of the day matters. The event Kalkaska holds on its own that Saturday raises money that stays in Kalkaska.
Northland Plaza takes over at 10 a.m.
The KAIR Festival of Trees opens tomorrow, Friday, November 6, and runs through Saturday, November 14, at Northland Plaza, 2101 US-131. Kalkaska Area Interfaith Resources describes it as a week of decorated trees on display, with raffles and drawings running all week.
Its busiest day falls on Iceman Saturday. KAIR lists Family Fun Day for November 7 at Northland Plaza, with Santa and his reindeer. Explore Kalkaska's listing puts the start at 10 a.m. The listed times leave an hour and fifteen minutes between the 8:45 race start and the 10 a.m. Family Day start, so you can watch the start and still get to the plaza.
Why this event matters so much locally comes down to the money. 9&10 News calls the festival the main fundraiser for the KAIR Food Pantry, which helps provide food to people throughout Kalkaska and Antrim counties. The Iceman brings in money from outside visitors, and much of it flows toward Traverse City. Every raffle ticket bought at Northland Plaza, on the other hand, goes straight back to a Kalkaska organization. KAIR also accepts donations online and at local stores, with checks made out to KAIR.
The rest of the festival week, then December
Family Fun Day isn't the end. The festival week, and the local calendar after it, keep going at the same addresses:
- Friday, November 6 through Saturday, November 14: Festival of Trees on display at Northland Plaza, 2101 US-131, with raffles and drawings all week.
- Saturday, November 14, 10 a.m.: The KAIR Festival of Trees Luncheon at Northland Foods & Family Center, 2101 US-131, according to Explore Kalkaska.
- Saturday, December 5, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.: Christmas in Kalkaska's Lighted Arts & Craft Show at 1700 W. Kalkaska Road, as listed by the Antrim Review.
- Saturday, December 5, 7 p.m.: The Christmas in Kalkaska Lighted Parade & Activities at Railroad Square, per Explore Kalkaska.
December 5 follows the same pattern as Iceman Saturday, with the daytime event at one address and the evening event downtown. The difference is that both parts of December 5 happen in Kalkaska.
Knowing how Kalkaska's calendar fits together, from the airport start line to the Northland Plaza trees to Railroad Square in December, matters when you're deciding where to buy or when to sell around here. If Kalkaska is on your list, or you already live here and want to know what your place is worth, Joe Van Antwerp would be glad to talk it through. Contact Joe for a free consultation.
