Kites on Ice put on hold for 2006

Organizers of Madison’s midwinter festival Kites on Ice have announced that it will not be held in 2006 due to a lack of funding.

During its first seven years, Kites on Ice was financed through corporate sponsorships and individual contributions. Madison Festivals Inc. says it lost approximately $60,000 on the 2005 event.

In 2004, the two-day festival was moved from the Monona Terrace to the Memorial Union, which was expected to be the site for the eighth annual Kites on Ice this coming February.

“For the past two years, the Wisconsin Union has very much enjoyed working with the Kites on Ice event planners to host this popular festival. It has been a wintertime favorite for the university and the community,” said Margaret Tennessen, the Union’s assistant director for administration and marketing.

“While we’re very disappointed to hear that it won’t occur in 2006, we certainly understand Madison Festivals’ difficult decision to suspend the event, and we’re hopeful that it will return to the city and Memorial Union in the future.”

A spokesperson for Madison Festivals Inc. said last week that its board of directors hopes to resume Kites on Ice in 2007. If it can’t garner enough sponsorship support, consideration may be given to making it a ticketed event.