Edmonton’s 13th annual ice carving festival runs over two weekends at the end of January in Old Strathcona, one of the city’s coolest neighbourhoods. Watch 10 international teams carve intricate art from huge, crystal-clear blocks of ice. Plus, enjoy live music and hot beverages, a zippy ice slide, free skate rentals, horse-drawn carriage rides and a stew cook-off. The festival runs 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Thursday to Sunday, Jan 21 to 24 and Jan 28 to 31, 2016.
Edmonton has tried to put a positive spin on our miserable winters by declaring us a winter festival city and providing us with actual activities to do in winter (complaining how cold it is does not count as an activity, apparently). The Ice on Whyte Festival will make you forget your numb toes, with its week-long celebration of everything that makes winter stunning: ice carving contests, skating, music and dancing in the snow.