Celebrate the snowy season at FreezeFest 2015

Sports, exhibits, demonstrations and more planned starting Thursday

A. Sue Weisler

Students rush to grab free swag for last year’s FreezeFest. Hats, scarfs, shirts and even sleds will be given away at random locations.

Hot chocolate and s’mores, a coordinated snowball fight, curling and ice carving demonstrations, a 5K race, a snow sculpture competition and comedian Bo Burnham are among the dozens of indoor and outdoor activities scheduled for the sixth annual FreezeFest at RIT this Thursday through Sunday.

“One of my goals for the weekend is to ‘wow’ the students, and I think we’ve got some pretty exciting things coming up for them,” said Kevin Wozniak, director of RIT’s College Activities Board. “Our staff, along with the Center for Campus Life, has been working since the summer to make sure that this weekend is perfect.”

The event was created to provide a unique festival that celebrates the cold and snowy season in Rochester. And this year’s FreezeFest at RIT will have one major attraction not always present at previous FreezeFest events: snow.

Temperatures are forecast to slowly rise through the weekend to a high of 25 degrees on Sunday.

Events include:

Thurs. Feb. 19:

  • 11:30 a.m.: Commuter FreezeFest Frenzy, SAU Lobby, aimed to have commuters meet with others and return for weekend events. Sponsored by Commuters@RIT.
  • 4 p.m.: Discover Venture Creations, at 125 Tech Park Drive. See what RIT’s business incubator is about by listening to the experience of current start-ups, followed by a networking reception. Sponsored by Saunders College of Business and Venture Creations.
  • 9 p.m.: Frozen, the animated Disney movie, Ingle Auditorium. Sponsored by the RIT College Activities Board.

Fri. Feb. 20:

  • All day: American Red Cross Blood Drive, Fireside Lounge. Sponsored by RIT Leadership Institute & Community Service Center.
  • Noon: Commuter FreezeFest Frenzy, SAU Lobby, aimed to have commuters meet with others and return for weekend events. Sponsored by Commuters@RIT.
  • Noon: Free food, SAU 1829 Room. Sponsored by RIT College Activities Board.
  • Noon: FreezeFest Olympic Curling and Ice Carving, outside SAU. Get to try curling, and watch an ice sculptor create a masterpiece. Sponsored by RIT College Activities Board.
  • 4 p.m.: Pulse Happy Hour, Student Development Center. Join several clubs and organizations with deaf and hard-of-hearing members. Sponsored by National Technical Institute for the Deaf Student Congress.
  • 5 p.m.: Frozen food trucks. M Lot (next to Rosica Hall). Sponsored by RIT College Activities Board.
  • 5 p.m.: Snow sculpting competition, Greek Lawn. Sponsored by RIT College Activities Board.
  • 6 p.m.: Women’s basketball, RIT vs. Union College, Clark Gym. Sponsored by RIT Athletics.
  • 7:05 p.m.: Men’s hockey, RIT vs. Robert Morris University, Gene Polisseni Center. Sponsored by RIT Athletics.
  • 8 p.m.: Men’s basketball, RIT vs. Union College, Clark Gym. Sponsored by RIT Athletics.
  • 8 p.m.: Frozen Dance, Global Village. Outdoor dance by the fire pit. Sponsored by Residence Life.
  • 9 p.m.: Rockin’ Bingo, SAU Davis Room. Sponsored by Center for Campus Life.

Sat. Feb. 21:

  • 11 a.m.: Winter Warrior, Grace Watson Field. Try this winter obstacle course. Sponsored by Phi Kappa Psi & Sigma Chi.
  • Noon: FreezeFest Ski Lodge, SAU Fireside Lounge and 1829 Room. Warm up with hot chocolate, hot dogs, s’mores and more. Sponsored by Center for Campus Life.
  • Noon: FreezeFest Freeze Fight, Grace Watson Field. An organized snowball fight with teams of five students battle it out in a dodgeball/capture the flag tournament. Sponsored by Recover Rochester.
  • 1 p.m.: Commuter FreezeFest Frenzy, SAU Lobby, aimed to have commuters meet with others. Sponsored by Commuters@RIT.
  • 2 p.m.: Women’s hockey, RIT vs. Syracuse University, Gene Polisseni Center. Sponsored by RIT Athletics.
  • 5-7 p.m.: Unification, SAU Ingle Auditorium. A talent show of dance, skits, music and tradition of eight to 10 cultural groups. Tickets are $5; $3 for international students. Sponsored by Global Union.
  • 7:05 p.m.: Men’s hockey, RIT vs. Robert Morris University, Gene Polisseni Center. Sponsored by RIT Athletics.
  • 7:30 p.m.: ASL Music: The Making of Frozen’s “Let It Go,” featuring director Jules Dameron and performer Jason Listman. Student Development Center, Rooms 1300/1310. Sponsored by NTID Student Life Team.
  • 8 p.m.: Comedian Bo Burnham, Gordon Field House. Sponsored by RIT College Activities Board and Center for Campus Life.
  • 10 p.m.: Chocolate on Ice, Ritter Arena. Open skating, music, a chocolate buffet and more. Students who donate a non-perishable food item will receive free skate rental. Sponsored by Residence Life and Center for Campus Life.

Sun. Feb. 22:

  • 10 a.m.: FreezeFest 5K Run/Walk, Grace Watson. Run or walk through the RIT campus. Registration begins in the Grace Watson lobby starting at 8:30 a.m. The first 250 finishers will receive a free long-sleeve FreezeFest 5K shirt. Register before Sunday for $5, or on the day of the race for $10 online. Sponsored by Residence Life.

For more information, visit the FreezeFest website.


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