EDMONTON — In a winter city like Edmonton where people are always looking for new ways to embrace the season, what better way to celebrate than with a massive ice castle?
From late December to March (weather permitting), Hawrelak Park will be transformed into a winter wonderland with a mammoth acre-sized ice castle.
Crafted by hand using only icicles and water, the ice castle will have tunnels, a waterfall and a throne room. The castle will also house a tubular ice slide and a winding ice maze.
“Ice Castles are one of the most unique and beautiful places on earth,” said ice artist Brent Christensen, with U.S.- based company Ice Castles.
Christensen describes the display as “Narnia-like,” with millions of sparkling icicles that come to life at night thanks to thousands of LED lights.
“It has been amazing for me to see the transformation from building a small ice structure in my back yard in Utah to the massive interactive sculptures we are building now,” said Christensen. “What’s really special is that every visitor gets a distinctive experience. There is nothing like this anywhere.”
Ice Castles, which has built castles across the United States since 2009, partnered with the City of Edmonton and the Silver Skate Festival to bring the winter attraction to Edmonton this winter. Edmonton is the first Canadian city the company has visited.
The ice castle will be open from 2-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday, 2-10 p.m. on Fridays, and noon-10 p.m. on Saturdays.
For more information on ticket prices, visit Ice Castles’ website.