Snowking's Winter Festival

The big Snowking's Winter Festival is held annually in March in Yellowknife. As the name suggests, this is a holiday associated with snow. Exciting snow sports, active competitions, creative events, and performances of various groups attract guests from all over the country. Moreover, it is held simultaneously with the famous three-day race on the Great Slave Lake.

The Snowking's Winter Festival lasts from three to five days. Unofficially, the festival starts a month in advance. Then the initiative group gathers and starts preparing the holiday. As a rule, both young people and the older generation take part in the organization of the festival. Adults try to pass on their traditions, tell about how the holiday was held before and keep the connection of the past, present, and future.

Professional architects, sculptors, and volunteers spend a month building a chic Snow castle on Yellowknife Bay. The work is very difficult: usually, the temperature is kept below 30 degrees in March. It is difficult even to walk in this cold. But the residents of the city are in love with their work. So they selflessly build a castle to please the guests of the festival.

Craftsmen use unique technology during construction. They don't build a castle out of blocks of ice. First, they build a wooden frame. Then cover it with a second layer of wood. Snow is blown between these walls, is pressed and hardens, creating a reliable structure. This technology significantly speeds up the construction of the castle. Besides, it will last longer than ordinary ice castles.

The real magic happens in Snow castle during the holidays. For example, a children's play with young actors is shown there. An exhibition of local artists or a concert of a band is organized. There also are film festivals. In the evenings, the castle turns into a dance club, which is richly decorated with bright lights.