Lewes Polar Bear Plunge 2027: Sunday, Feb. 7 at 1:00 p.m. in Rehoboth Beach

The 36th annual Lewes Polar Bear Plunge is set for Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027, with the in-person plunge at 1:00 p.m. in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, according to plungede.org, the Plunge DE site of Special Olympics Delaware. It is the first in-person plunge since 2025, because the City of Rehoboth Beach canceled the 2026 event.

This story covers the date and time, why 2026 had no plunge, the most recent schedule of events the site lists, how to register, what to bring and which other 2027 polar plunges have posted dates. A printable checklist is at the end. Our February 2027 printable calendar shows where Feb. 7 falls, and the month’s other dates are in February 2027 important dates.

Lewes Polar Bear Plunge 2027 date and time

The Plunge DE homepage lists “In-Person – Sunday, February 7, 2027 in Rehoboth Beach at 1:00 p.m.” It also offers a virtual option for people who do not go to the beach, described as “Backyard, schoolyard, any time, any place.”

Item	What the site says	Source
In-person plunge	Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027, 1:00 p.m., Rehoboth Beach	plungede.org homepage
Edition	36th annual Lewes Polar Bear Plunge	plungede.org homepage
Virtual plunge	“Backyard, schoolyard, any time, any place.”	plungede.org homepage
Check-in times and places	Not yet announced for 2027	plungede.org registration page

The frequently asked questions page says to join “on the first Sunday in February at 1:00 p.m. in Rehoboth Beach” and “strongly recommend[s] taking advantage of one of the early check-in opportunities.” As of Nov. 4, 2026, the 2027 check-in times are not posted; some pages say 2027 registration is still to be determined. The registration page tells plungers to “plan ahead when and where you will check in.”

Why was there no Lewes Polar Bear Plunge in 2026?

The CBS station in Salisbury, Maryland (WBOC) and the ABC station there (WMDT) both reported on Jan. 28, 2026 that the 2026 plunge was postponed for weather to Sunday, March 1. On Feb. 26, 2026, WMDT reported that the plunge and the 5K Run to the Plunge were canceled and “will not be rescheduled this year.” WBOC reported the same day that “the City of Rehoboth Beach has canceled the 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge and 5K Run to the Plunge.”

Special Olympics Delaware’s homepage addresses the year this way: “While Mother Nature had other plans for the 2026 Lewes Polar Bear Plunge, it didn’t diminish what was accomplished.” The plunge benefits “the athletes of Special Olympics Delaware,” which provides “year-round sports training and athletic competition in a variety of Olympic-type sports” for “thousands of children and adults with intellectual disabilities.”

How big is the plunge? Totals from the official history

The site’s history page gives these figures. It lists no 2026 total.

Year	Money raised	Participants
1992	$7,000	78
2020	$1,018,000	Not listed
2024	$1.5 million	4,380
2025	More than $1.3 million	4,416

What is the plunge-day schedule of events?

The 2027 schedule is not yet announced. The schedule page lists these events without a year. Treat them as the most recent schedule the site lists, not as 2027 times.

Time	Event	Place
10:00 a.m.	5K Run to the Plunge	Boardwalk at Rehoboth Avenue
10 a.m. to 3 p.m.	Sand sculpting demonstration	Beach in front of Candy Kitchen
Noon to 2 p.m.	Fire & Ice Festivities	Atlantic Sands Hotel & Conference Center
2:30 to 5 p.m.	Restaurant chili contest	Not listed
4 to 7 p.m.	Registration & Souvenirs	Rehoboth Beach Convention Center

The only 2027 time confirmed is the 1:00 p.m. plunge. The 2026 cancellation also covered the 5K Run to the Plunge, and no 2027 5K details are posted yet.

How do you register and what are the fundraising incentives?

The registration page says to “use our secure GoFundMe Pro site to register yourself and/or fellow Bears” and also offers a paper form. The frequently asked questions page says “you only need to register once.” Anyone who prefers not to plunge can “skip the Plunge and support the mission by making a donation.”

Official Bear status requires “a minimum of $100 is raised.” The incentive list below sits on the fundraising page under a 2026 heading, and the 2027 hoodie is listed as still to be determined, so 2027 items may change. The site says incentives “are determined by individual fundraising totals, not based on team fundraising.” The same page adds that “all donations and matching dollars must be received by the end of February to count toward your incentive fulfillments.”

Amount raised	Incentive on the current site list
$100	Hoodie (2027 design to be determined)
$250	Beach towel
$500	Sweatshirt
$1,000	Duffle bag
$2,000	Robe
$5,000	Fleece jacket
$7,500	Custom stained glass

What should you bring and what are the safety rules?

The Plunge DE tips page recommends bringing a robe, plus “extra towels or a blanket to stand on – remember, the sand is like ice!” It suggests wearing layers and loose-fitting clothes, and “consider wearing water shoes or something on your feet into the water.” It says to plunge with a friend and use the buddy system.

The rules are written in capitals on the tips page: do not dive or go into the water head-first, do not swim past the safety divers in the water, and do not go near the jetties. The same page says the event has “a professional dive team in the water and a Safety Team of emergency responders on site.” Tents and drones are not allowed on the beach per the City of Rehoboth Beach.

On parking, the maps page says “the crowd will be similar to a summer holiday weekend at the beach (some claim even bigger!)” and “our best advice is to come early, be patient looking for a spot.” It lists no shuttle information.

Which other polar plunges have 2027 dates?

These dates are confirmed on each organizer’s own page. Times are the organizers’ local times.

Plunge	Date	Time and place	Source
Polar Plunge MN, White Bear Lake	Saturday, Jan. 30, 2027	Begins at 12:00 p.m. (subject to change), White Bear Lake County Park, 5050 Lake Avenue	plungemn.org
Polar Plunge Chicago for Special Olympics Illinois	Sunday, March 7, 2027	North Avenue Beach: 8:00 a.m. beach and registration open, 9:45 a.m. opening ceremony, 10:00 to 11:15 a.m. plunge waves	Special Children’s Charities
Polar Plunge MN, Big Lake	Saturday, March 20, 2027	Begins at 12:00 p.m. (subject to change), Willy’s On the Water, Big Lake, Minnesota	plungemn.org

Not yet announced on their own sites: the Coney Island Polar Bear Club New Year’s Day 2027 plunge, which its site calls “the annual Coney Island Polar Bear New Year’s Day Plunge, which is open to the public” without a time, and the Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge at Sandy Point, where plungemd.com showed no dates on Nov. 4, 2026. Our printable yearly calendar leaves room to add them once they post.

Plunge-day checklist to print

The printable “Lewes Polar Bear Plunge 2027 Checklist” lists the sign-up steps, the $100 minimum, what to bring, the arrival advice and the five safety rules from the tips page, with the Sunday, Feb. 7 plunge at 1:00 p.m. at the top. Recheck plungede.org for check-in times once they are posted.