What you need to know about the Ice City Festival, Jack Frost's 'distant cousin'

Even though COVID-19 hasn't managed to keepwinter away, it has forced Charlottetown's annual winter festivalto stay in hibernation this year.

The Jack Frost Winter Festival is normally attended by up to 15,000 people and has a provincial economic impact of about $2.5 million.

Organizers have instead planned an alternative calledIce City, a month-long festival of activitieswhich they say is a "distant cousin" to Jack Frost.

"We want people to have fun, respect others, wear their mask, socially distance and just hopefully everyone feels as fortunate as we do that we live in a place where we can still do a lot of this great stuff," said Heidi Zinn, executive director of Discover Charlottetown.

Events range from free snowshoe rentals, themed skating nights, snoga(yoga in the snow), horse and wagon rides and a park-it-market taking place in one of Charlottetown's parking garages.

Winter wonderland

Typically the festival is held at one central location. In years past, it's been at the Charlottetown Event Grounds and outside of Founders'Hall.

This year, events will be held all over the city. Organizers recommend checking the full list of events online, as some require pre-registrationand have varying COVID-19 protocols.

"All of those details will be on the website under each of the events," Zinn said.

Those walking around town will also see decor and goings-on around the city that giveCharlottetown a winter flair.

"We will have ice sculptures around the city. Every Saturday and Sunday there will be live ice carving," Zinn said.

'We may learn something'

The inability to draw touristsfrom the rest of the Maritimesmeans Ice City was designed with Islanders in mind.

Charlottetown Mayor Philip Brown says this also means the economic impact money spent on accommodations, restaurants and in local businesses is uncertain.

"It's going to hurt drastically," he said.

"It's going to be very much buy local, shop local and entertain local, and the longer time frame will hopefully give residents of Charlottetown, the capital region, the Island, to take advantage of all the events.

"And you know what? We may learn something from this Ice City Festival that we can incorporate in future Jack Frost festivals."

Ice City runs from February 12 to March 14.

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