Popular New Year’s Day Swim Postponed Due to Health & Safety Concerns

Jacksonport, Wis. (November 17, 2020) –  The Jacksonport Polar Bear Club’s 35^th annual plunge into Lake Michigan will have to wait a year. Due to ongoing health concerns regarding large gatherings, the Jacksonport Polar Bear Club has postponed their upcoming New Year’s Day swim into the icy waters of Lake Michigan for 365 days. The 35^th annual swim had been scheduled for Friday January 1, 2021. It will now take place on Saturday January 1, 2022.

The annual event, which started with only one swimmer back in 1986, now regularly attracts hundreds of swimmers and hundreds more spectators on the beach at Lakeside Park in Jacksonport along Door County’s eastern coast. With New Year’s Day being on a Friday this year and at the start of a 3-day holiday weekend, an even larger crowd was anticipated.

Organizers decided an event that could bring more than 1,000 people shoulder to shoulder on the beach in Jacksonport could not be held safely this year. While they will miss seeing the revelry and spirit of togetherness the annual tradition brings with it, they feel this is the most responsible decision for all involved.

The Jacksonport Polar Bear Club looks forward to their 35^th annual event, now scheduled for Saturday January 1, 2022. All swimmers who wish to make up for the missed year are welcome to go in two times in 2022!