ROCHESTER, Minn. – SocialICE set a new attendance record in 2018.

The Rochester Downtown Alliance (RDA) says an estimated 51,500 people attended the three day event, the largest number since it began in 2009 and a massive increase from 40,000 in 2017. The highest previous attendance mark was 46,000 in 2016.

The RDA also says SocialICE had an estimated economic impact of $1,810,907 in 2018, an increase of roughly $500,000 from the previous two years.

“SocialICE 2018 confirmed that there is a strong desire to enjoy the outdoors during the winter,” says Jenna Bowman, RDA Executive Director. “It was seen through the record setting attendance, as well as the post event survey data. SocialICE provides residents and visitors the opportunity to collectively experience something that has been uniquely Rochester for the past decade. Thank you to all of the participating bars and restaurants, the sponsors, and the event attendees. We look forward to a strong 2018 events calendar and to planning for SocialICE 2019.”