Go ice fishing, skating and explore a snow maze in this central Alberta town

Feb 2 2022, 4:33 pm

A town in central Alberta is leaning into the spirit of winter, with an ice slide, snow maze, glowing skating rink and a huge ice fishing derby.

During the Family Day long weekend, at Sylvan Lake Winterfest and the Big Jig Ice Fishing Derby have everything an outdoor lover could want during the winter months.

So, let’s talk about the things you can do apart from the massive ice fishing derby.

To start, there are four ice slides to zip down and a 1,400 square foot snow maze to explore. The fun goes into the night, with the ice slides being lit up to enjoy in the dark too.

VisitSylvanLake.ca

Catch some fireworks shoot across the night sky at 7 pm on Saturday, February 19. They can be viewed from anywhere along Lakeshore Drive.

A fire show is also in the works! Be dazzled as acrobatic dancers flip, twirl, and spin, showing off their latest tricks on Saturday.

VisitSylvanLake.ca

The huge skating rink will be a must-see as it is illuminated at night. If you are looking to play some pond hockey, there are several ODRs that you can hit up.

Bring your own skates, as there are no skate rental booths in Sylvan.

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Sleigh rides are also available; you can stop by one of their lakeside cafes, grab a warm drink and make your way down to the festival grounds. Saturday sleigh rides run every 15 minutes and pick up and drop off from the Kinabik Village.

VisitSylvanLake.ca

Of course, there is ice fishing too, and since February 19 to 22 is an Alberta Family Fishing Weekend, no fishing licenses are required for the weekend.

If you opt to participate in the fishing derby, you can register here. The winner of this catch-and-release ice fishing tournament will take home a cash prize of $3,000. In total, over $7,500 in prizes is up for grabs. Fish on!

fishing

Ice Fishing (vladimir salman/Shutterstock)

In addition to all the sweet things we have already listed, the neon Northern Lights of Glow N’ Throw at Woodshed Axe and the Oval Ice Racing Series ATV, UTV, and motorcycle ice races are on Sunday.

Sylvan Lake is just under two hours south of Edmonton and a little over an hour and a half north of Calgary.

Sylvan Lake Winterfest X The Big Jib

When: February 19- 22, 2022
Where: Sylvan Lake, Alberta
Cost: Free

Laine MitchellLaine Mitchell

+ Listed
+ Winter
+ Curated
+ Outdoors
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