Event Details:
Date: Starting Christmas Day
Location: Downtown Winnipeg
Admission: Adults $25, Children (1-17) $15
Transforming Winnipeg’s Winter Reputation
Three visionary Winnipeggers – Paul Kostas, Andy Zhao, and Vivian Zhao – are set to transform the city’s cold reputation into an international attraction. Their ambitious project, The Great Ice Show, aims to create a winter wonderland in the heart of downtown Winnipeg.
What to Expect
- A 40-foot ice sculpture of the Manitoba legislature
- 40,000 LED lights illuminating the ice park
- 50 Chinese ice sculptors creating and maintaining the sculptures
- Toboggan runs
- Bumper cars on ice
- Ice mazes
- Ice-sculpting workshops
- A 600 sq. ft. ice bar for adults
The Vision
The organizers are investing $500,000 in this pilot project, hoping to create an annual event that will grow and evolve each year. As Andy Zhao states, “Instead of people going down south in the winter, we want people to come from the south to Winnipeg. Winnipeg should have something to be proud of in the winter.”
Inspiration
The idea for The Great Ice Show was inspired by the international festival in Harbin, China – the world’s largest snow and ice sculpture festival. The Winnipeg version aims to bring a taste of this spectacle to Canada, with plans to make it an annual event that changes and improves each year.
Community Involvement
Looking to the future, the organizers hope to involve the community in designing the park. As Zhao mentions, “Perhaps in the future kids will design the park — we will ask them what they want. Every year will be new, for sure. It will always be better and better.”
A Bold Investment in Winnipeg’s Winter Tourism
While the organizers acknowledge the financial risk, they’re optimistic about the potential impact on Winnipeg’s winter tourism. Paul Kostas admits, “It’s somewhat of a gamble. We’re basically flipping a coin. We anticipate good numbers, but it’s something that’s quite hard to budget for.”
