Milwaukee's 2024 Polar Bear Plunge was a 'bucket list' item and a 'baptism' into the new year, participants say
Hundreds of people crowded Bradford Beach New Year's Day at noon and rang in 2024 by running into the chilly waters of Lake Michigan.
Milwaukee's Polar Bear Plunge has been a popular New Year's Day tradition for over two decades. This year's plungers braved relatively tame temperatures compared to many previous years, and many enjoyed time with friends and family in tents and at bonfires on the beach before and after the plunge.
Social media users who participated in the annual event called it a "bucket list" item, an opportunity to show what they're "made of" and a "baptism" into the New Year.
Here are some posts from plunge participants and observers who braved the cold:
More: Plungers participate in the annual Polar Bear Plunge at Bradford Beach on New Year’s Day 2024.
BRADFORD BEACH
Milwaukee, WI#PolarBearPlunge pic.twitter.com/ZFAC4LeBrw— Bert Lauderdale ⚡ (@BertWeather) January 1, 2024
Taking pictures of the Polar Bear Plunge was much preferable to going in myself.
Happy New Year, Milwaukee. pic.twitter.com/rL0WrtFjZW— Andrew Goldstein (@AndyGold24) January 1, 2024
Want to see even more Polar Bear Plunge photos? Here's our gallery by Journal Sentinel photographer Julie Immink:
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: See how people reacted to Milwaukee's 2024 Polar Bear Plunge
