Winnipeg’s Great Ice Show will stay open longer, weather permitting

WINNIPEG –If you haven’t had a chance to check out more than 100 ice sculptures at The Great Ice Show, now you’ll have more time to do it.

Organizers of the show said they’ll keep everything going until the weather gets too warm and melts the ice.

“The sun damages the ice sculptures the most,” organizer Paul Kostas said. “The structures that have any damage, either we repair them or we disregard them all together and we build new ones.”

On Friday, temperatures in Winnipeg could reach the freezing mark so Kostas knows the day will be challenging.

“Looking at the long range forecast I think as soon as we pass Friday we should be good for another week,” Kostas said.  “If the low temperatures are accompanied by overcast then the damage is minimal.”

The show kicked off at the end of January and features a 40 foot tall ice slide, bumper cars, an ice bridge, polar bear heads families can toboggan through and more.

“Festival du Voyageur has helped us and we have helped Festival,” organizer Andy Zhao said. “It all makes us a better package together and puts Winnipeg on the map.”

Zhao said people from outside the city who came to the show felt like there was a lot to see between The Forks and Festival du Voyageur, which wrapped up on February 21.

“We learned a lot this year and are looking to expand The Great Show next year here,” Zhao said.

He is looking at snow and ice festivals around the world and taking ideas to improve areas in the future.

“We are going to build a snow restaurant that’s in our plan and also local performers have contacted us,”  Zhao said. “Some people are even asking about wedding photos here.”

Zhao said families are coming in from across Canada to see the ice sculptures and international tourists are also stopping by.

Next year, visitors can expect a new look with more sculptures and possibly an earlier start date.