Edmonton’s Deep Freeze sees record-breaking crowds as festival wraps up

Organizers say more than 40,000 people turned out on Saturday alone for the Deep Freeze Winter Festival over the weekend.

Despite the warm spell coming to an end Sunday, families were still out and about enjoying the Deep Freeze Byzantine Winter Festival in Alberta Avenue.

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Deep Freeze honours the “Olde New Year” or Orthodox New Year while blending traditions among several cultures including Ukrainian, French Canadian, Franco African, Indigenous, Latin American and Asian influences.

The festival took place on 118 Avenue between 90 and 95 Street and included live music and dance performances as well as storytelling, ice carving and art installations.

Christy Morin, the artistic director and general manager of Deep Freeze said they saw 40,000 at the festival on Saturday.

“It was a beautiful day, yesterday there were record-breaking crowds,” Morin told CTV News Edmonton.

Following the holidays, she said it’s important to keep up the momentum in January when people tend to feel more down.

“This is really important to Edmonton, especially in January when the darkness is really here,” said Morin. “It’s wonderful to have some sparkle and some light and a festival that just brings everybody together.

“It’s arts, it’s culture, it’s sport and it’s community and I think it’s essential to us as humans and the neighbourhood and Edmonton.”

Festival organizers were concerned leading up to the two-day event after the city saw the most snow in 25 years.

“We were sitting on pins and needles the whole week, asking council and administration for support in getting the roads clear,” said Morin.

But crews were able to make it to the area in time for the festival.

“It was a beautiful day. People came without any problems.”

With files from CTV News Edmonton’s Miriam Valdes-Carletti