Clean Lakes Alliance’s Frozen Assets Festival is ON
Lake Mendota ice activities moved on land Feb 1st, 2nd, 3rd
Madison’s favorite winter festival is moving forward with a full slate of activities scheduled for 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 1st, 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, but 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
On Friday night, February 1, the popular Frozen Assets Fat Bike Race, which is usually held on a lit course on Lake Mendota, will move to the Capital City Bike Trail. Racers will leave from east end of Law Park and head south, make a loop at McDaniel Park in McFarland, and then return to Law Park. With the race being held on pavement instead of the ice, 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 Memorial Union. Competitors will leave the union on the Lakeshore Path, make a loop near the entrance to Picnic Point, and head back.
Free Events
The Frozen Assets events our community has grown to love – including free hot chocolate, s’mores, ice skating, dance performances, figure skating performances, Olympic speed skating demonstration by Casey FitzRandolph, and Bucky Badger – will all happen on The Edgewater Ice Rink and Grand Plaza starting Saturday, February 2. Additionally, the very popular Kites on Mendota – featuring large show kites, will continue elsewhere on the property.
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 in the lakes, especially with the lack of snow and a frozen ground. Minimizing runoff coming off your property, even in the winter, is the best way to help our lakes avoid phosphorus-causing cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms in the summer.
Clean Lakes Alliance is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the improvement and protection of the lakes, streams, and wetlands in the Yahara Watershed. Through community support, advocacy and education, we are working to restore and protect our lakes for future generations.