SocialICE returning in 2022 with ice bars, live DJs

SocialICE is slated to return to pre-pandemic form this winter.

The Rochester Downtown Alliance, which puts on the annual ice festival, said this week it plans to bring back ice bars and DJs — both staples of previous year’s events — for the 2022 edition of SocialICE.

“SocialICE was the last major event we hosted prior to the pandemic,” said Holly Masek, executive director of the RDA. “We’re thrilled to bring this celebration back to the community again, and look forward, as always, to bringing folks together downtown.”

Both the ice bars and DJs were scrapped in 2021 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. In place of a packed festival — which typically draws tens of thousands of people to Peace Plaza — the RDA held a passive, scaled-back version of the event to allow for social distancing.

This winter, the RDA says it will continue to work with Olmsted County Public Health to monitor the latest Covid-19 guidelines and adjust event plans as needed. It adds that event-goers should also expect “a slightly more spacious event layout than in years past.”

The festival is scheduled to run Feb. 3-5, 2022.

Cover photo courtesy the RDA