City of Rochester News Release
(Friday, Feb. 7, 2020) – Today’s winter
storm has created the perfect conditions for this weekend’s Lakeside Winterfest
and the Polar Plunge, which will once again take place at Ontario Beach Park on
Saturday and Sunday, Feb. 8 – 9, 2020. The weekend of winter fun kicks off at
noon on Saturday with an array of family friendly events, with most activities taking
place inside or adjacent to the Roger Robach Community Center.
A huge, heated
tent will be home to perennial festival favorites such as the Chilly Chili
Challenge and the Lake Ontario Wine and Craft Beer festival. The tent will also
house other vendors, a variety of food options and entertainment provided by the
Neil Van Dorn Band.
Those who
prefer outdoor activities can enjoy an ice carving demonstration or enter the
highly competitive snow sculpture contest to win one of the cash prizes that
will be offered in three separate categories: Youth 12 and Under, Adults and
Groups & Families.
Other
activities include horse drawn wagon rides, dog sled demos and fun games and
contests organized by the City’s Rec On the Move staff. Festival-goers can also choose to simply take
in the winter splendor of Lake Ontario or visit the port terminal “green house”
between noon and 4 p.m., where they can sip and shop at the craft and
collectible sale.
New this year
will be the opportunity to try out a fat tire bike. Presented by GROWLER
Performance Bikes, participants can join guided fun rides beginning at 1
p.m. A limited number of loaner bikes
will be available. For more information on fat tire bikes, visit www.GrowlerBikes.com.
At 6 p.m. on
Saturday evening, the action shifts to the William A. Johnson Jr. Terminal
Building at the Port of Rochester. Winterfest
attendees can peruse the building’s numerous eateries to enjoy a snack or drink
while watching the gigantic winter fireworks display at 6:15 p.m. that takes
place over the river. Afterwards, there
will be plenty more fun and entertainment to take advantage of by exploring Charlotte’s
local bar and restaurant scene.
Lakeside
Winterfest events are organized by the all-volunteer Ontario Beach Park Program
Committee and sponsored by the City of Rochester, Monroe County, Charlotte
Community Association, CITY Newspaper and Wegmans. For more details and updates
on scheduled events, visit www.ontariobeachentertainment.org
or www.cityofrochester.gov/wintercelebration/.
On Sunday,
Feb. 9, the fun continues at noon with the annual Polar Plunge. More than 1,000 winter enthusiasts are expected to
dive into the icy waters of Lake Ontario to benefit the Special Olympics.
Free off-site
parking and shuttle service is available for all plungers and spectators.
Shuttles to the Polar Plunge will be available from 8:30 a.m. – 2 p.m. from the
Greece Arcadia High School parking lot, 120 Island Cottage Rd. Participants and
spectators are strongly urged to take advantage of this transportation option
as parking at the Port is very limited.
Registration
for the Polar Plunge will take place from 9 – 11:30 a.m. on Sunday morning. For
more information or to pre-register, visit www.polarplunge.net
or call (585) 586-7400, ext. 109.
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News
Media: For more information, contact
Press Officer Jessica Alaimo, 428-7135.