Minnesota Ice Festival canceled due to warm weather
MINNEAPOLIS — Organizers of the 2024 Minnesota Ice Festival decided to cancel this year's event due to the warm winter weather.
Temperatures look well above average for the next week or so, with days in the 40s, which is roughly 13 degrees above average. The festival was slated for the beginning of January, but temps leading up to that time will still remain average, according to WCCO's NEXT Weather meteorologists.
Minnesota Ice CEO Robbie Harrell said that the warm temperatures create safety concerns, as they affect the stability of the ice structures.
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The festival was hoping to break a world record this year by building an ice maze that would have been around 18,000 square feet.
"We were really looking forward to celebrating the beautiful Minnesota winter with everyone, but the weather hasn't cooperated, and we won't be able to deliver the experience we had hoped for," said Harrell. "Everybody in the community was looking forward to it — the Minnesota Vikings, Viking Lakes. We were an important aspect of the Winter Skolstice. But it's the right decision out of safety."
As for the more than 300 tons of ice already delivered, Harrell has backup plans like making smaller temporary displays for the Winter Skolstice which is still going on as planned.
"Right now it's mostly community-based events that will be free for the public to come out and we'll just try to turn this thing around," Harrell said.
The unseasonably warm temperatures have also pushed other winter businesses and activities to adjust their plans. Bait and tackle shops are suffering because there isn't enough ice on lakes for people to go ice fishing yet. Outdoor ice rinks around the metro also haven't been able to open.
MORE: How much ice does it take to build Minnesota's famous ice maze?
Attendees who have already purchased tickets and gift cards for the ice festival will receive an automatic refund within the next seven to 10 days.
