The Big Freeze happens next weekend, and, like in the past two years, that means Albert Lea gets to enjoy a medallion hunt in the week leading up to it.

The Albert Lea-Freeborn County Chamber of Commerce is the sponsor for the Big Freeze Medallion Hunt. The medallion was created by local artists Jack and Eloise Adams.

The first clue is to be revealed Monday. The first time and place people can find the clues each day is at 8 a.m. at the Albert Lea Tribune’s website. Clues also will be printed in the Albert Lea Tribune. They will be read on local radio stations, too.

The finder of the medallion will receive $300 in Chamber Bucks.

The Big Freeze in past years has happened at Frank Hall Park. This year the winter festival takes place Saturday at Edgewater Park, with the new Edgewater Bay Pavilion as the central gathering place.

The festival features food, live music and several activities, including a polar plunge where people get into the ice-cold water of Fountain Lake.

Other activities are geocaching, snowshoe hike, disc golf, skydiving, snowmobile radar runs, softball and a winter carnival for children.

 

Schedule for The Big Freeze

Feb. 18, Edgewater Park, north entrance
• Take a Kid Ice Fishing
9 a.m.-noon, first 150 kids get free jigging stick and bucket
• Chili Cookoff
Noon-3 p.m., $10 to enter contest, $3 for tasting spoon, more than $100 in prizes, bring nonperishable food item
• Skydiving tandem jump
Call to make appointment: 383-9377
• Family Geocaching
1-2 p.m., sign up at pavilion
• Softball Tourney
9 a.m.-5 p.m., 3 games on Fountain Lake
• 5K Snowshoe Shuffle
11 a.m. start, register at 10 a.m., bring nonperishable food item
• Polar Plunge
2 p.m. start, bring nonperishable food item
• Disc Golf Ice Bowl
9-9:30 a.m. registration, 10 a.m. tee, $250 in prizes from Nancy VanderWaerdt State Farm, bring 5 nonperishable food items
• Snowmobile Radar Runs
Noon-3 p.m., $5 per run, on Fountain Lake
• Kids Winter Carnival
1-4 p.m., Giant Jenga, snow golf, obstacle course, other games
• Sleigh Rides
1-4 p.m., bring nonperishable food item
• Ice Party
5-7 p.m., Riptide and Indescrepency perform, 7-11 p.m., Bad Monkey performs, bring nonperishable food item, $3 donation at door to food shelf, beverage services by Geneva Bar & Grill
More information at www.bigfreeze.org.