Winterfest Hartford Canceled Due To Pandemic

HARTFORD, CT — The annual Winterfest Hartford event has been canceled, according to NBC CT. The tradition features free ice skating at Bushnell Park.

The iQuilt Partnership had been raising funds to help put on this year's event. However, organizers said due to the rising number of COVID-19 cases, the event would need to be canceled, NBC CT reported.

On the website, organizers said: "Winterfest Hartford will be bigger, and better, when free ice skating, skate rentals and more return to Bushnell Park in November of 2021. Will you help to make it happen?

"We understand that not all of you will be able to support us this year, but even sharing our fundraising link helps! Donate, share the link with those who can, or both. Thank you so much."

Winterfest Hartford has roots dating back to the 19th century. In 2010, the city of Hartford and the iQuilt Partnership brought back the event.

Each year the event brings 40,000 skaters into the city.

In October, the organization announced that they had 40 percent of the fundraising needed to open Winterfest Hartford this year. But virus numbers are now not supposed to peak until early December, with experts predicting 1,700 hospitalizations across the state in the current wave.

See related: Winterfest Hartford Needs Funding To Open

CT Still Weeks Away From Coronavirus Peak: Health Experts