Nine days of Frozen Assets

We had so much fun throughout the nine days of Frozen Assets 2023 and we hope you did too! More than 8,000 lake enthusiasts from near and far joined us for science demonstrations, musical performances, ice skating, food and drinks, ice sculpture carving, a chance to try new winter activities, face painting, networking, a chance to run or walk in the only 5K on a frozen lake in North America, and more! We THANK YOU for supporting lakes Mendota, Monona, Wingra, Waubesa, and Kegonsa!

Frozen Assets 2023 highlights

Saturday

Frozen Assets 2023 kicked off with Night Ice, an outdoor party featuring Milwaukee Bucks official DJ and Producer, DJ Shawna. We also enjoyed skating “in a snow globe” as the snow fell, large LED kites flying high over Lake Mendota, and a special dinner at The Edgewater.

Sunday

It was Sunday Funday, complete with plenty of time to chill out with an NFL Championship watch party and ice skating on The Edgewater’s Ice Rink.

Monday

We kicked off the work week, along with TEMPO Madison, with a Women in Water and Sustainability panel discussion. Roughly 80 people joined us to hear from local women leaders in the water and sustainability sectors. Live ice sculpting with Art Below Zero also drew a crowd.

Tuesday

On Tuesday, we warmed up with a Lakeside Luau in The Boathouse with the Madison Downtowners, Madison Magnet, Smart Growth, and NAIOP.

Wednesday

On Wednesday, we enjoyed a breakfast with our friends from Downtown Madison Inc, with a discussion about the lakes and their importance to Greater Madison. We also saw live ice sculpting and youth night on The Edgewater’s Ice Rink.

Thursday

Thursday brought the community together for live ice sculpting, networking, s’mores, skating, and games. There was also a chance to see pond hockey on large rinks on Lake Mendota in front of The Edgewater.

Friday

The work week ended on Friday with a Brewgrass concert with Two Runner and a fish fry at The Boathouse. There were large LED kites flying high over Lake Mendota, ice sculpture lighting with Art Below Zero, and pond hockey on Lake Mendota.

Frozen Assets 5K Run/Walk

It was our best year EVER for this one-of-a-kind event! Thanks so much to everyone who walked or ran the five kilometer course that started and ended at The Edgewater. It’s the ONLY 5K in North America held entirely on a frozen lake and it’s growing in popularity every year! Special thanks to Lands’ End for the super soft race t-shirts, and Wisconsin Distributors for the post-race Michelob Ultra beer and seltzer.

Kites, skydivers, science, and more!

An action-packed day on The Edgewater plaza and Lake Mendota had something for everyone at the Frozen Assets Festival. In the air, the popular Kites on Mendota put on by the Wisconsin Kiters Club, and parachuters from the Seven Hills Skydiving Club kept people looking up.

On the rink, our friends from Figure Skating Club of Madison gave amazing performances. The community also got to try out ice skating with and without the help of training pushers.

Inside The Edgewater, we saw a dance demonstration from Central Midwest Ballet, salt demonstrations with WI Salt Wise, and movie showings. There wer Mad Science presentations and kiddos enjoyed elaborate face painting with Funny Faces Family Entertainment.

On the lake, the UW Center for Limnology, the Saturday Science team from the Discovery Building, and the UW-Madison Department of Physics showed interesting facts about the ice under our feet. Even Bucky Badger got in on the action!

Families also had fun trying pond hockey on Lake Mendota, visiting the Mary B. vintage iceboat, and trying snowshoeing.

Thank you to all of the volunteers and supporters who helped make Frozen Assets 2023 a success!

SAVE THE DATE – Frozen Assets 2024!

We hope to see you back at The Edgewater and Lake Mendota next year for 10 days of Frozen Assets! Running from Friday, January 26th through Sunday, February 4th, 2024, Frozen Assets will be highlighted by the Festival and 5K Run/Walk on Saturday, February 3rd, 2024. Madison’s most fashionable fundraiser, returns the weekend of January 27th-28th, 2024. Stay tuned for more details coming late summer and early fall of 2023.