Winter Fest, the annual community gathering at Marathon Park, is canceled this year due to dangerously cold temperatures forecasted for the area, organizers Wausau Events announced on Tuesday. The event, which was to feature sled dog rides and children’s activities, was scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 12.
“The safety of our community and the wellbeing of the animals involved are always our top priorities,” said Alissandra Aderholdt, executive director of Wausau Events. “With temperatures reaching dangerous levels, canceling the event was the most responsible decision for our organization.”
High temperatures on Saturday are expected to range from 5 to 10 degrees below zero, with overnight lows between minus 25 and minus 30 degrees, in what may be area’s coldest conditions since 1996.
Wausau Events indicated the event is indeed canceled and will not be postponed to a later date this season.
“Organizers appreciate the understanding of the community and partners affected by the cancellation and look forward to welcoming families back to events this upcoming summer,” the news release stated.
Wausau Events first held Winter Fest in 2012. The event is something of a spiritual successor to the Wausau Winter Frolic, a popular winter sports festival started in the 1920s by the Wausau Outdoors Club and hosted by the entire community.
But Winter Fest is only one half of the annual Winter Weekend, which also includes Winter Brew Fest — that indoor event is still being held on Friday, Jan. 23 from 6-9 p.m. at the Rothschild Pavilion.
Organizers are excited to bring all the event’s features together in one room this year, after hosting Winter Brew Fest across several ballrooms at the Jefferson Street Inn in previous years.
“We used to have half of our breweries in one room, half in the other and the live music in one room and the brat bar in the other,” said Brooklyn Hess, events specialist with Wausau Events. “What we’re really looking forward to this year is the fact that the Rothschild Pavilion is a lot larger and we’re going to be able to have everything all in the same space. You’re not going to have to keep walking from one room to another.”
Winter Brew Fest features unlimited sample beers from nine different breweries: Bull Falls Brewing Company (Wausau), Mosinee Brewing Company, Fifth Ward Brewing Company (Oshkosh), Titletown Brewing Company (Green Bay), Hinterland Brewery (Ashwaubenon), 3 Sheeps Brewing (Sheboygan), Surley Brewing (Minneapolis, Minn.), Downeast Cider House (Boston, Mass.) and Fabiano Brothers Distributer (Schofield).
With unlimited beer sampling on tap, Wausau Events made sure to provide some tasty food to compliment the alcohol with an unlimited brat bar
“We’ll have a full brat bar, that includes brats with all the fixings, potato salad, sour kraut — that kind of thing” Hess said.
Beer and brats will be accompanied by live music from String Cheese Band
“They’re going to be playing throughout the entire event, they’re going to play some good covers, so we’ll have a really good vibe going on.” Hess said.
Tickets are $45 and can be purchased online in advance or at the door. Tickets include unlimited sips, unlimited visits to the brat bar and a commemorative glass beer mug.
For updates on future events, or to purchase tickets for Winter Brew Fest, visit www.wausauevents.org.
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