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Frozen Assets Festival is ON!

Frozen Assets on Land

Clean Lakes Alliance’s Frozen Assets Festival is ON!

Lake Mendota ice activities moved on land February 1st, 2nd, and 3rd

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.”

Lake Races on Land

The popular Frozen Assets Fat Bike Race returns on Friday, February 1st! The race will move to the Capital City Bike Trail. Racers will leave from east end of Law Park and head south. The bikers will then make a loop at McDaniel Park in McFarland and return to Law Park. Riders with any type of bike are encouraged to register.

Saturday morning’s Frozen Assets 5K run/walk will move off the ice and onto land starting at the Memorial Union. Competitors will leave the union on the Lakeshore Path, make a loop near the entrance to Picnic Point, and head back.

 

5K Run Walk FA Event Cover

Free Events

The Frozen Assets events our community has grown to love will all happen on The Edgewater Ice Rink and Grand Plaza starting Saturday, February 2nd. Events include free hot chocolate, s’mores, ice skating, dance performances, figure skating performances. Olympic speed skater Casey FitzRandolph will give us a speed skating demonstration, and Bucky Badger will be stopping by too! Additionally, the very popular Kites on Mendota – featuring large show kites, will continue elsewhere on the property.

Frozen Assets Collage

Unusual Winter

If the Wisconsin State Climatology Office declares “ice on” Lake Mendota again this winter, it will only be the seventh time since 1852 the lake will have frozen, thawed, and froze again. Clean Lakes Alliance reminds everyone that winter rain washes everything directly into the lakes. This is especially prevalent during times when snow is lacking and the ground is frozen. Minimizing runoff coming off your property is one of the best ways we can help our lakes this winter. Reducing runoff helps our lakes avoid phosphorus-causing cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms in the summer. Read more about the history of Lake Mendota’s freezing and thawing.

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