After two years of being confined to the shore by inconsistent weather and punky ice, the Luminary Loppet moved back onto a perfectly frozen Lake of the Isles, graced by a few inches of fresh powder snow.
The annual spectacle of fire and ice, produced almost entirely by volunteers, drew nearly 16,000 ticketed viewers and unknown numbers of other gawkers who walked or skied the luminary lit trail under a cobalt night sky. Geezers and grandbabies and everyone in between were dazzled by the antiquities in ice — Ice-Cropolis, Ice Henge, Ice Pyramid — and by the smaller works in the Enchanted Forest — shiny mushrooms with mycelium, fresh flowers in ice towers — and marveled under the dazzling canopy of ice lanterns swaying in Luminary Hall and Luminary Lane.
Lady polar bear lumbered across the lake as did a few of her penguin pals, reveling in the clear winter night with the rest of us. Old-timers and newbies agreed — this was the best one ever.
Besides being a magical night, the Luminary Loppet raised $500,000 to support the work of the Loppet Foundation, whose mission is to connect people to the outdoors through experiences that build community. Their work focuses on underserved youth and families in the Minneapolis area.
