Ice on Whyte

For the second year in a row Ryan and I made an evening out of one of Edmonton’s favorite winter festivals; Ice on Whyte. The ice carving festival is quite popular since its fun for all ages.

To start off our evening we went for supper at a nearby restaurant called MEAT. I’ve been there once before and I knew Ryan would love it.  The main dish is, as you may have guessed, meat. You choose what type and what size portion and it is served family style on a platter, perfect for sharing. We chose beef brisket and pulled pork with sides of mac and cheese and garlic fries plus a pickle for me.

The restaurant is on the pricier side but it is well worth it for a nice night out and you can’t be the location. It’s really close to everything Whyte Ave has to offer.

Warm and full we headed down the street to the festival. It was really warm when we went last year so it lacked a bit of the charm, but this year it was a perfect cool crisp night. Going in the evening when it’s dark is nice as well because the sculptures are lit up in different colors.

Inside we went straight over to admire the standing sculptures and also to watch the men still creating their pieces. A jester, a tiny man and what looked to be turning into a lizard were just a few.

In another are we found ice thrones and a Bison next to a small snow maze.

My favorite part of the festival is in the very back corner. A large Combine made of snow and ice with 2 ice slides shooting down the front. Ryan and I raced down a few times and I had a blast. Ice slides beat plastic slides, no competition. In this area we also found a jumbo sized Jenga game and got right into it. We actually managed to do fairly well despite wearing gloves and the occasional shiver.

After the game toppled over we made a visit to the fire pit to warm ourselves before exploring further.

The “indoor” area, an events tent, held snacks, a bar and live music! The guys on stage could be heard throughout the grounds but we had no idea they were actually there playing live. They were really enjoyable to listen to and had a great play list.

Back out into the snow for our evening finale. Another ice slide, but this one is much taller and longer and incidentally much slower and less fun. Ryan barely made it half way before he had to start pushing himself to get down. Enjoyable anyway though!

I think we will make it a tradition and attend again next year!