Water Safety Festival
Join us April 28th 2024 at the Jean K Freeman Aquatic Center to learn more about water safety through a day of FREE swim clinics, lessons, performances, activities, and games! Sign-up required for some activities. All ages welcome, children ages 12 and under must be accompanied by a guardian.
Sign up for general admissions to the Water Safety Festival for a day of events, performances, and activities.
Click here for aquatic rules + policies
Questions? Contact Bryna McElligott: [email protected]
Schedule
Events and Performances
1:45-2:15pm: Artistic Swimming Performance | Diving Well
Lessons and Clinics
- 10am-12pm: Free Swim Lessons, ages 4-12 | Cooke 10 Pool
- 10-10:45, 11-11:45am: Yoga Paddleboarding | Natatorium
- 10:15-11:15am: Adult Swim Clinic | Cooke 15 Pool
- 11:30am-12:30pm: Triathlon Swim Clinic | Cooke 15 Pool
- 10:30-11:30am: Dive Clinic with Minnesota Diving Academy | Diving Well
- 12:30-1:30pm: Underwater Hockey Clinic | Scoreboard Pool
- 1:45-2:30pm: Adult Intro to Swimming | Cooke 10 Pool
- 2:15-3pm: Try Synchro! Artistic Swimming Clinic | Natatorium
Activities
- 10:30-11:30am, 12-1pm, 2:30-2:30pm: Lifeguarding Demos with Lt. Ken Rolland | Comp Pool
- 11:15am-12pm, 2-2:45pm: CPR Demos | Wet Classroom
- 11:30am-12:30pm: Safety Around Water and Life Jacket Fittings with the Y | Diving Well
- 12-12:30pm: Open Paddleboarding | Scoreboard Pool
- 12:15-12:45pm, 1-1:30pm: Aqua Aerobics | Cooke 10
- 1:15-2:15pm: Hennepin County Sheriff's Office Dive Rescue Team and Water Safety Talk | Comp Pool
- 1:45-2:15pm, 2:30-3pm, 3:15-3:45pm: Kayaking Demo | Natatorium
- 2:30-3:30pm: Boat Building with the Y | Cooke 10
Some activities require additional sign-up to hold your spot. If there's a registration link attached to an activity, make sure to sign up!
Need to Know
Parking + Facility Access
The closest ramps to the Jean K. Freeman are the University Ave Ramp and the Washington Ave Ramp. Standard rates will apply for all campus ramps; however, there is free street parking available on University Ave. For more information about parking and potential parking rates for your event, please visit UMN Parking and Transportation.
There are two entrances into the Aquatic Center for events.
- South Side Aquatic Center Entrance not the RecWell Entrance. (closest to Washington Ave. Parking Ramp)
- North Side (closest to University Ave. Parking Ramp)
The Aquatic Center main entrance and lobby are open during events/rentals only.
What to Bring
Please be sure to bring a swimsuit and towel for you and your child. Per RecWell’s policies, children under the age of 12 must be accompanied by a guardian in the water within arms’ reach at all times. Children 12-16 years of age must be within their guardian’s sight at all times.
This applies during any open swim or dive throughout the day. If your child is registered to take lessons, you will not need to be in the water with them during that time.
Feel free to bring a US Coast Guard approved flotation device for you or your child as well. There will be open swim times in all of the pools for adults and children to enjoy!
Refreshments
Coming soon
Vendor Information
More information on vendor registration coming soon.
WSF 2023
- 342 registrants/participants
- 22 vendors/community partners.
Bus Information
Depart V3 at 9:45am, 10:45am, and 11:45am
Depart Aquatic Center at 1:30pm, 2:30pm, and 3:30pm
