WINNIPEG — A new festival will transform The Forks into an ice wonderland.
Andy Zhao came to Winnipeg from China ten years ago and is now the general manager at the Hampton Inn by Hilton Winnipeg Airport. Zhao always admired the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China. He decided it was time to bring something similar to Winnipeg.
“Everything will be made of ice and snow,” Zhao said. “Also we will put LED lights inside the ice so that they will shine at night. It will look like a crystal city.”
Icetival will feature a giant slide inspired by the legislature, ice bumper cars on the river as well as an ice bar.
Tickets will be $25 for adults and $15 for kids. Zhao’s dream is to make this an annual festival that draws more tourists to Winnipeg in the winter.
“We hope one day people will come from south of the border to enjoy the winter, instead of us flying south,” Zhao said.
On Christmas day over 40 artists from China will be arriving to start building the site. The festival should be up and running in about a month.
WATCH: Concept video
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