Frozen Assets cancels all Lake Mendota events due to poor ice conditions
Due to continued warm weather, Clean Lakes Alliance has made the decision to cancel all Frozen Assets events scheduled to take place on Lake Mendota. The decision was made after multiple days of drilling test holes in Lake Mendota, as well as speaking with experts at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a local meteorologist, and local law enforcement officials. Events including skydiving, Kites on Mendota, snowshoeing, pond hockey, and the Mary B will not be at Frozen Assets this year.
“Safety for our festival partners as well as our festival attendees is always our first thought when planning Frozen Assets,” stated Clean Lakes Alliance Founder and Executive Director James Tye. “We removed different activities to try to reduce crowds on the ice, holding out hope we could safely put the Wisconsin Kiter’s Club on the lake for a show, however it became apparent the ice wasn’t 100% safe for that performance.”
Frozen Assets Festival still ON
Despite canceling Lake Mendota activities, there will still be a Frozen Assets Festival! The popular 5K run/walk has been pivoted to Madison’s Largest Winter Workout – a large group exercise led on The Edgewater Grand Plaza by barre3. The workout starts at 10 a.m. with all participants receiving a shirt courtesy of Lands’ End and a beer/seltzer (21+) compliments of Michelob Ultra. On-site registration will be available. This charity event raises important funds for lake improvement projects, water quality monitoring, and educational programming.
Additionally, the UW Center for Limnology, UW Physics, and IceCube will be on the Plaza talking about the science behind ice and what lives under it during the winter. Festival attendees can also still enjoy free hot cocoa, free ice skating on the plaza, free kids’ activities, and performances by Central Midwest Ballet and the Figure Skating Club of Madison.
Frozen Assets, presented by Associated Bank and The Edgewater, runs from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday, February 3rd at The Edgewater.
Thank you to all of the sponsors of the 2024 Frozen Assets Festival!