EDMONTON -- Ice Castles Edmonton returns for its fifth year in January, with a new design. It's the only Canadian location being built this year. It is also the only urban castle being built, with the other four locations located in the rural United States.
Handcrafted by ice artisans, the castle is made by joining icicles grown on-site and using a sprinkler system to help the placed icicles grow to form the castle's walls and ceiling. In the past, it has boasted icy thrones, LED walls, slides, and fire pits.
"Once we build up the castle, it’s just huge chunks of ice and large icicles," said Kristina Sitas, Ice Castles Event Manager. "Then we have to go inside, break them down, build some pathways and some tunnels for our guests to walk through."
The castle covers roughly a one-acre piece of Hawrelak Park and is partnered with the Silver Skate Festival, which runs Feb. 7 to 17.
Tickets go on sale January first and the attraction opens on January third, weather permitting.
