We had so much fun at the Frozen Assets Festival and hope you did too! Whether you participated in person or virtually, we THANK YOU for supporting lakes Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa!
Temperatures below the freezing mark, combined with cold water, helped Lake Mendota officially freeze in the early morning hours on Friday, January 7, 2022. The official declaration comes from the Wisconsin State Climatology Office. Lake Mendota, the largest lake in the Yahara Watershed, froze 23 days shy of January 30th. The latest ice-on date ever declared was on January 30th, 1932.
More than 10,000 attendees visited The Edgewater and frozen Lake Mendota over eight days this February, making 2020 our biggest Frozen Assets yet! THANK YOU to all of our sponsors, guests, volunteers, and event partners who made this year’s festival, fundraiser, and new evening events a huge success.
Join Clean Lakes Alliance at The Edgewater on Lake Mendota for the Frozen Assets Festival! Every year, this event highlights the year-round value of our lakes, while raising money to protect our waters through lake improvement projects, educational programming, and water quality monitoring.
Join us for FREE, family-friendly activities, including ice skating, sleigh rides, pond hockey, snow shoeing, ice science, and more. Don’t forget to warm up with complimentary s’mores and hot cocoa!
With more than 6,000 visitors joining us at The Edgewater and on Lake Mendota, Frozen Assets raised more than $127,000 net for our lakes this year. THANK YOU to all of our sponsors, guests, volunteers, and event partners who made the festival and fundraiser a huge success!
Thank you to our presenting sponsor Lands’ End and to our platinum sponsor The Edgewater. Lands’ End provides critical funding and apparel to keep our staff and volunteers warm. The Edgewater and its staff were incredible hosts of the festival and fundraiser for the FIFTH year in a row!
Funds raised will be used to purchase easements for three miles of buffer strips, which help capture nutrient-rich runoff from farm fields before it enters our lakes. See some of the other projects we’ve been up to since our founding in 2010.
Keep reading for a recap of the event and respond to our survey below to give us feedback about how we can make next year even better!
Take a break from the hilly pavement and bring your stride to the ice. In the Frozen Assets 5K race, participants will run or walk across the ice on iconic Lake Mendota with beautiful views of downtown Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The course will start and end at The Edgewater, right in the heart of the Frozen Assets Festival!
Your registration to the Frozen Assets 5K includes admission to the race with optional chip timing. Online registration closes Wednesday, January 20th. The registration pricing schedule is below:
November 1 $35 :: Early bird
December 31 $40 :: Regular price
February 2 $45 :: Same day
Best of all, your registration supports work to protect and improve water quality in our lakes!
The event is chip-timed for runners, sign up for the walk pass for an untimed event. Awards will be given to the top three male and female finishers.
By registering for this event, you agree to the Frozen Assets 5K Terms & Conditions of Entry. All entrants must read and agree to this declaration.
Race organizers reserve the right to alter the course due to factors including, but not limited to, ice conditions and weather. If conditions are deemed unsafe, the event may be cancelled or moved to an alternate location. Participants will be notified of any changes ahead of the event.
Is there parking available?
Event parking will be available at The Edgewater for $5. Participants may also find street parking or use other City of Madison parking ramps.
What is the course?
The course is a loop on Lake Mendota to Picnic Point and back.
When can I check-in or pick up my bag?
Participant check-in and registration the day of the event will begin at 9 a.m. An optional bag pickup will be held on Thursday, Jaunary 31st from 4-8 p.m.
What happens if ice conditions are unsafe?
Clean Lakes Alliance will make every effort to hold this event, while keeping safety in mind for all competitors. If conditions are deemed unsafe, the event may be cancelled or moved to an alternate location, with entrance fees being considered a tax-deductible donation to support our lakes.Participants will be notified of any changes ahead of the event.
What is the refund policy?
Registrations are transferrable and non-refundable. Thank you in advance for your donation to support our lakes!
Madison’s favorite winter festival is moving forward with a full slate of activities during the first weekend of February at The Edgewater. Warm temperatures and a virtually snowless winter have left Lake Mendota’s ice cover in question for the February Frozen Assets Festival, presented by Lands’ End. But even if the ice is off, the FESTIVAL IS ON!
“Our number one goal every year is safety,” said Clean Lakes Alliance Executive Director James Tye. “We of course always want to be able to use Lake Mendota – our largest ‘frozen asset’ – for our festival. We have a great partnership with The Edgewater allowing us to hold events even if a changing climate takes away our ice.”
At Clean Lakes Alliance, we work for our lakes all year long. Keep reading to learn five great ways YOU can get involved with the watershed this winter and support cleaner, healthier lakes!
Despite warm weather in Madison over the weekend, cool nights, light winds, and cold water helped Lake Mendota officially freeze on Saturday, December 15th. Lake Mendota, the largest lake in the Yahara Watershed, froze eight days after the smallest lake in the watershed, Lake Wingra, which officially froze on December 7th. Lake Monona officially froze on December 11th.
The Wisconsin State Climatology Office requires ice to hold for a period of 24 hours before a lake can officially be declared frozen over. After ice took shape this weekend, staff waited to see whether it would hold out through the warm daytime temperatures. The December 15th freeze date is 12 days ahead of last year’s December 27th freeze date, and a surprising five days ahead of the December 20th median freeze date. The latest freeze date for Lake Mendota was January 30th – which happened in the winter of 1932.
The Wisconsin State Climatology Office makes the official determination as to whether the lake is frozen. The climatologists use the same guidelines they have used for decades to determine whether the lakes are iced over. This allows for a continuity in data collection. Read more: Determining ice cover on Madison’s lakes.
Join Clean Lakes Alliance for our Frozen Assets 5K, America’s only run entirely on a frozen lake!
Take a break from the hilly pavement and bring your stride to the ice. In this 5K race, participants will run or walk across the ice on iconic Lake Mendota for beautiful views of downtown Madison and the University of Wisconsin-Madison campus. The course will start and end at The Edgewater. Medals will be awarded to our top finishers. Best of all, your registration supports work to protect and improve water quality in our lakes!
Online registration ends Wednesday, January 31st. Walk-ups welcome! Register at the start line at 9 a.m. the day of the race.
Contact Clean Lakes Alliance at info@cleanlakesalliance.org or 608-255- 1000 if your organization would like to get involved by becoming a sponsor.
Learn more about the Frozen Assets Festival: cleanlakesalliance.org/frozen-assets
