It’s officially the third and final weekend of Winterlude, and families across the capital region are making the most of the winter festival before the ice sculptures melt and snow slides go quiet. From skating along the Rideau Canal Skateway to exploring snow sculptures and snow slides, there’s still plenty of fun left before the festival concludes on Family Day. At Snowflake Kingdom in Gatineau, one of Winterlude’s biggest draws for families and tourists, the energy was high as visitors packed in for one last warm winter hurrah. For Sergio Gentile, the trip marked more than just a festival visit. “It’s my wife’s birthday and we figured a nice getaway to Ottawa and skate with the kids on the canal and take part in Winterlude,” Gentile told CTV News while visiting the Snowflake Kingdom with his family. The Montreal family was visiting the site for the first time and were impressed by what they found. “Beautiful. A lot of stuff, free stuff, free coffee, free (hot) chocolate, a lot of stuff for the kids to do,” he says. “Nothing to complain about. Weather is amazing.” With mild temperatures and sunshine throughout the weekend, many families say they couldn’t have picked a better time to attend. “We have had the best time. Perfect weather. The snow slides here are excellent and everything is so much fun,” says Andrea Lee. Shannon Afonso agrees. “Literally the best day we could have picked to come to Winterlude. It’s mild, there’s tons of families, lots to do, it’s great,” she says. While it may be the festival’s last hurrah of the season, organizers are still expecting a strong turnout through the long weekend. “We’re super, super proud of what it is that we’ve been able to offer local residents in Ottawa and Gatineau,” says Melanie Brault, director of Capital Celebrations with Canadian Heritage. “We also know that there’s lots of tourists that come and participate and enjoy Winterlude year after year.” Beyond Snowflake Kingdom, visitors can still take in the ice sculptures at Confederation Park, skate along the canal, or check out Igloofest at Place des Festivals Zibi, which features electronic dance music. “This weekend we also have Igloofest that’s happening over at Zibi,” Brault says. “That’s where you can really get into the groove with the electronic dance music. I’m hearing that they have a couple of sold-out evenings, but you can still check and see if they have some tickets available.” A full list of the festival’s remaining events can be found on the Winterlude website.
