Mother Nature doesn't have Lake Geneva's Ice Castles in the cards for 2023 after all.
According to a Thursday Facebook post from organizers, the popular winter event, which had opened to the public just last week after having to push the date back multiple times due to warm conditions, had completely melted.
"It was fun while it lasted," the post reads. "It was a short 3-day season. Unfortunately the weather did not cooperate. Over the last 3 days, the castle has melted beyond repair. Our location in Lake Geneva will not be able to reopen."
The event, which organizers describe as "like walking through a glacier," typically opens in December. However, opening dates this season were pushed back for more than a month due to unseasonably warm temperatures. And while the Midwest did see some cold spells, they weren't enough to keep the icy castles afloat.
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"We had 20-foot [ice] walls set up in December, and then the warmup hit and everything went away," Ice Castles event planner Wally Bullard said last week, while putting the finishing touches on the castles before opening day.
According to organizers, tickets were expected to remain on sale through at least Feb. 20. However, refunds are already underway, officials say.
"We always say that Ice Castles is a delicate dance with Mother Nature," Thursday's Facebook post continues. "Sadly, this winter she didn't feel like dancing."
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According to organizers, the castles are built by teams of artisans that hand-place around 10,000 icicles per day. The icicles are then sprayed overnight for as may days as possible, Bullard says, until the best possible result is achieved.
"Here's hoping for a colder winter next season," the post concludes.
