Ice Yards returns to Navy Yard with polar plunge to benefit Special Olympics DC

WTOP's Jason Fraley previews Ice Yards at Yards Park (Part 1)

Are you craving some winter vibes after our unseasonably warm weather in D. C.?

The ninth annual Ice Yards returns to Yards Park on Saturday from 1 p.m. to 4 p.m.



“The Yards will be transformed into a winter wonderland,” Marketing Director Jill Fredrick told WTOP. “I think the weather is supposed to be cold on Saturday, but if not, they will feel like they’re in a winter wonderland! … It’s going to be a lot of fun and a great cause.”

Located near Nationals Park in the bustling Navy Yard neighborhood, Yards Park will host an array of winter-themed activities, from ice Jenga to live ice carving of ice sculptures.

“There’ll be tons of activities to do,” Fredrick said. “We have a snowboard simulator, we have ax throwing, we have iceless curling, live music, tons of yummy food and winter beverages, and then tons of Instagrammable moments if you like to take pictures.”

Of course, the main event is the Polar Plunge to raise money for Special Olympics D.C.

“We’ll have a pool set up on the boardwalk next to the Anacostia River,” Fredrick said. “We have plungers who come out in costume. We have plungers who come out year after year. … The Polar Plunge has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars because not only do you get proceeds from the ticket sales, but every single plunger has raised funds on their own.”

You can also warm up at several toasty fire pits with snacks from participating restaurants:

  • La Famosa
  • Due South
  • Osteria Morini
  • Shilling Canning Company
  • Agua 301
  • Maxwell Park
  • Ice Cream Jubilee

Your complimentary drink ticket can be redeemed for one of the following:

  • Trouble Bird — Ice Yards Daiquiri
  • Agua 301 — Blood Orange Margarita
  • Shilling Canning Company — High Noon
  • Due South — Selected Beer/Seltzer
  • La Famosa — Spiked Apple Cider
  • Osteria Morini — Vin Brule OR Cioccolata Calda

Tickets cost $15 for admission, including a $5 donation to Special Olympics D.C.

Find more information here.

WTOP's Jason Fraley previews Ice Yards at Yards Park (Part 2)

Listen to our full conversation here.

Jason Fraley

Hailed by The Washington Post for “his savantlike ability to name every Best Picture winner in history," Jason Fraley began at WTOP as Morning Drive Writer in 2008, film critic in 2011 and Entertainment Editor in 2014, providing daily arts coverage on-air and online.

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