This Ontario Small Town Has A Magical Winter Festival & You Can Tube Down The Main Street

It's back for the first time in 3 years!🔥🧊

Tubing hill on a small town street. Right: Fireworks over a winter festival.

Tubing hill on a small town street. Right: Fireworks over a winter festival.

Staff Writer

This magical winter festival in Ontario will have you celebrating all things icy and hot. A small town is transforming into a snow park full of activities and performances and you can even tube down the main street.

Fire and Ice Bracebridge is returning after three years with more adult-focused activities on top of the same popular events that took place at the last festival in 2020.

A giant tubing hill will be created on Manitoba Street, the town's main road, and on January 28 you'll be able to sled down this hill, enjoy performances, play mini curling, eat treats by a campfire and more.

Four main sites downtown — Memorial Park, Midtown area, Downtown Bracebridge and on Taylor Road — will host a variety of snowy activities that you won't want to miss. The giant tubing hill will have two snow lanes and tubes are provided. This winter event is only one of many all-day activities taking place.

Memorial park will have a winter village where you can glide along a skating rink as well as a mini tubing hill and axe throwing, all of which can be enjoyed throughout the festival. The park area will also have a lumberjack show, a drum circle performance and an ice sculpting demonstration.

Midtown, from Mary Street to Taylor Road, is where you'll find the massive tubing hill on Manitoba Street, an all-day campfire to keep you toasty as well as mini putt and mini curling. There will be a pancake breakfast in the area, where you can hang out with Frozen characters Anna and Elsa, for an additional fee.

Tons of full-day activities will be happening downtown, between Taylor Road and Ontario Street, including a kids' carnival zone, outdoor bowling, cupcake decorating and making treats over a campfire. You'll also find a fire and ice lounge that has both indoor and outdoor areas, ice sculpture demonstrating, axe throwing, and fireworks show, during select times. Busker performances will take place along Taylor Road.

You'll have plenty of options once it's time for a snack including restaurant specials and grab-and-go options. Deep-fried butter tarts, BeaverTails, mini donuts and french fries are just some of the food items available. There will also be interactive displays and photo opportunities throughout the event.

This festive winter carnival takes place on January 28 from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and adult tickets are $10 per person. You can buy a pass ahead of time or at the entrance. According to the website, the busiest times are generally between noon and 4:00 p.m. so if you don't like crowds it's best to visit outside of those times.

Fire & Ice Bracebridge

Busker performer with fire batons at Fire and Ice Bracebridge.

Busker performer with fire batons at Fire and Ice Bracebridge.

Town of Bracebridge

Price: $10 per adult

When: January 28, 2023

Address: Downtown Bracebridge, ON

Why You Need To Go: You can celebrate the Canadian winter with a small town festival full of activities including a giant tubing hill on the main street and fireworks.

Website

Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.

  • Ottawa Staff Writer Megan Johnson was an Ottawa Staff Writer for Narcity Canada. Prior to joining the Narcity team she founded Ottawa River Lifestyle, a blog to promote the Capital Region and small towns along the Ottawa River. In addition to writing about Canadian businesses, local events and outdoor adventures, Megan has created content for Canadian brands and tourism boards. She has her B.Sc. in Honours Biochemistry and has always enjoyed various forms of writing and travel.

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