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Photo gallery Winter Carnival: Delighting in the ice and snow

February 10, 2025

UW–Madison’s annual Winter Carnival on Feb. 6-9 drew big crowds to frozen Lake Mendota and its shoreline to skate, ice fish, sled play broomball and hockey and enjoy a freestyle snowboard and ski show. Others just came to walk on the ice together and marvel at the replica of the Statue of Liberty’s head and torch. The celebration was capped off with fireworks on Feb. 8.

A crowd of people is shown on an ice lake around a replica of the State of LIberty's head and torch.

Something about the presence of the Statue of Liberty draws people out on the ice of Lake Mendota to talk, explore and take selfies with her. Photo by Xiaomeng Shen/UW–Madison

Two women skate on ice.

Students Yael Hahn (right) and Abby Heltzer (left) tentatively skate on Lake Mendota. Photo by: Bryce Richter

A photo of a snowboarder going off a jump in front of a crowd.

A snowboarder prepares to fly off a jump as the crowd — and Lady Liberty — watch. Photo by Xiaomeng Shen/UW–Madison

A woman and a young girl hold hands as they skate on a lake.

Kristen Kehl-Flowberg (right) and Marta Flowberg (left) skate on the ice of a frozen Lake Mendota near the Memorial Union during an open skate event on Feb. 8. Photo by: Bryce Richter

A torch recreating that held by the statue of liberty lights up a frozen lake, with people and lit buildings in the background.

The torch of liberty lights up Lake Mendota. Photo by: Bryce Richter

A skier flies through the air as his skies slide on a rail, with the night sky behind him and snowflakes around him.

A freestyle skier grinds on a rail as he competes in the Rail Jam event. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Fireworks light up the night sky above a frozen lake with people gathered on it, as well as a replica of the statue of liberty's head and torch.

Fireworks, the Statue of Liberty, and a clear, cold Wisconsin night made it a Winter Carnival to remember. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Students stand on the ice, one holding a hockey stick, ready to hit a ball down an icy lane toward a target.

Students participate in the Red Bull Light the Lamp hockey/mini golf combo event. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Several students holding brooms chase after a ball on an icy lake.

There's nothing like broomball on an icy lake to get the heart pumping. Photo by: Bryce Richter

Photo of several people walking on an iced over lake with a colorful sunset behind tehm.

A group of students skating on frozen Lake Mendota delight in the colors of sunset on Feb. 7. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

People gather around a bonfire on a frozen lake on a winter's night.

Atisha Cyrill and Neha Chadaga, graduate students in information science and computer science, enjoy the warmth of a bonfire on frozen Lake Mendota on Feb. 7. The friends came to their first Winter Carnival because Skate Night with Outdoor UW featured Taylor Swift's music. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

A photo shows a puck on a stick between someone's legs as another person with a stick prepares to catch a pass.

Hockey, anyone? Landon Maphis prepares to receive the puck from Dylan Hart. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

A woman on figure skates holds her arms out and one leg as she spins around on the ice.

Student Elise Edwardsen, a member of the Figure Skating Club of UW–Madison (FSCUW) spins on frozen Lake Mendota near Lady Liberty. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

Photo of two people lying on the ice pretending to make snow angels.

From left to right, students Scarlet Mann and Callahan Mahoney laugh and make snow angels on frozen Lake Mendota near the Memorial Union. The friends, both from the east coast, said they'd never been on a frozen lake before and they love it. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

Four people wearing winter clothing and holding ice fishing gear smile for the camera as they stand on a frozen lake.

Members of the Wisconsin Fishing Team, Kole Her, Maddie Noll, Nicholas Lemke and Oliver Nienas, pose for a photo with their ice auger and ice fishing gear after spending the day teaching folks how to ice fish on frozen Lake Mendota on Feb. 7. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

A woman pulls a line out of a hole in a frozen lake.

Maddie Noll, a member of the Wisconsin Fishing Team, pulls an ice fishing tip-up from a hole on frozen Lake Mendota. Photo by: Althea Dotzour

A young woman wearing a Wisconsin shirt holds her hands in a W formation in front of a rendition of the head and lamp of the statue of liberty, on an icy lake surface.

Student Karlee Buckwalter flashes a frozen W in front of Lady Liberty. Photo by: Bryce Richter

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Tags: memorial union, recent sightings

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