Yellowknife’s famed castle on the frozen bay will return on March 2, 2024 and run until March 29, organizers have confirmed.
Snowkings’ Winter Festival features the construction of a Snowcastle comprising various icy architectural delights, then a series of events and activities to last for the festival’s four weeks.
Work to harvest ice for the castle began in the past week, with workers scraping sheets from Yellowknife Bay to serve as windows several months from now.
In a Sunday press release, the festival said actual construction work will begin on New Year’s Day. You’ll be able to book a tour of the construction site from January onward.
“It’s what we do to celebrate winter, especially this coming year, to bring a big dose of cheer and surprise to the city,” festival president Bill Braden was quoted as saying.
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“We’re one of Canada’s signature winter events, we’re intensely proud of it, and we won’t disappoint.”
The 2024 edition of the festival will be its 29th year. The International Snow Sculpting Symposium returns from March 1 for the eighth time, growing from six to nine teams, and more than 120 applicants have asked to perform inside the castle’s Great Hall, organizers said.
The festival’s reverse raffle fundraiser begins next month, with a top prize of $5,000.
The Snowcastle will formally open at 12pm on March 2, 2024. As is tradition, a door will be carved out of the castle’s front wall to welcome the first entrants.
