Indulge in Edmonton’s winter weather at Silver Skate Festival in Hawrelak Park. There are 10 days of activities including skating, cross country skiing, fire and snow sculptures, live music and storytelling.
“This year we’re really excited to bring back our folk trail and have actors on it again, and have local artists showcasing and celebrating everything that’s incredible about Edmonton,” says Erin DiLoreto, executive producer of Silver Skate Festival.
Take a walk down the Folk Trail and be enchanted by three fables: Talking to the River, The Land of Shadow and The Land of Light, and The Tree That Wanted to Dance. Watch the stories come to life on February 12, 13, 19 and 20. Each evening ends with the fire sculpture, a spectacle where artists spend the weekend creating a sculpture and setting it on fire at the end of the night. The artist teams this year include Steven Teeuwsen, Char Char and the Burnt Toes, and Loren’s Lumen.
There will also be large-scale snow sculptures throughout the entirety of the festival created by seven teams.
“It’s just really nice to get artists working and being able to showcase everything that’s great about Edmonton,” says DiLoreto.
Silver Skate Festival partners with the Canadian Birkebeiner Society to host the Barnberkie, a cross country ski race for children. And the International Festival of Winter Cinema presents outdoor, winter-themed movies in frigid settings. There’s a new lineup of movies each day of the festival until February 20.
If sitting in the snow for the length of a movie chills your bones then head to the recreation zone to get your body moving and warm again. Take your shot at ball hockey, jam-can curling or frisbee. Or, take a guided snowshoeing tour of the river valley.
“It’s nice to have a variety of programming, so that there’s something for everyone,” says DiLoreto. “Get outside, have fun and experience what Edmonton has to offer. We’re showcasing some incredible stuff and Hawrelak Park is a gem of a park, so get out there and enjoy it this weekend.”
Silver Skate Festival runs from February 11 to 21 at Hawrelak Park, located at 9930 Groat Rd. ETS is offering Park n’ Ride service on weekends looping through five stops. Check the schedule and bus stops online before heading to the festival.
