Pratt ice cream social (ICS)

Date & Time: (normally held: first Friday after Memorial Day in May, 5:30 - 8:30pm)
Location: Pratt School and Tower Hill Park

Unfortunately there’s no plan to hold our biggest annual neighborhood event, the Pratt Ice Cream Social this year (2023). The Tower will not be open either. Prospect Park Association (PPA) and Friends of Tower Hill Park are currently working with the City of Minneapolis to reopen the Witches Hat Water Tower to visitors. First, the City engineer has to evaluate the Tower and make repairs if needed, because the Tower hasn’t been open for several years. 

Thanks for your interest. Organization and staffing of the Ice Cream Social has always been on a volunteer basis.

A community event might be held in future, but there’s no definite plan or timeline yet because…

The Pratt Ice Cream Social was a fundraising event for Pratt Elementary School PTO, organized jointly by PPA and Pratt PTO. As we understand it, at least for now, Pratt PTO will be holding a small event for the school's children and their families instead of a large community event. 

Because of the Covid-19 pandemic we prudently cancelled the 2020, 2021 and 2022 events. The last one was held in 2019. 

Previous Ice Cream Socials
Since the early 1970s, the Pratt Ice Cream Social Fundraiser is one of the most anticipated events of the year! This event is sponsored and co-organized by the Pratt Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO) with the Prospect Park Association in order to raise funds for Pratt Community School and PPA. What draws people in from throughout the Twin Cities, though, is that the Witch's Hat Water Tower is open! To manage the crowds waiting to ascend the tower, we use a fixed number of circulating passcards so that only 80 people can be in the tower at any given time. Organization and staffing of the event is on a volunteer basis.

What to Expect at the 2019 Ice Cream Social

A large community presence is a big part of what makes this event special, as well as:

• Food
  
• Ice Cream (of course)
  
• Live music and entertainment
• A large silent auction, fundraiser for the Pratt School
  
• Plant Sale
• Carnival Games
• Community information tables
  

Many Thanks To our 2019 Supporters and partners!

• Pratt Parent-Teacher Organization
• Minneapolis Tap
• Metro Petro
• U-Garden Restaurant
• The Ebenezer Society — The Pillars of Prospect Park
• Prospect Park Garden Club
• Malcolm Yards Market
• Spire Credit Union
  
• The neighbors of Prospect Park