Banff National Park’s 3rd Annual SnowDays is on now, a month-long festival jam-packed with mid-week events and weekend festivals that celebrate Banff’s historic love for winter.
SnowDays festivities are focused in three main central locations:
- The Downtown Skating Rink (300 block Banff Avenue)
- Banff Avenue Square (200 block Banff Avenue)
- Central Park (Banff Avenue and Buffalo Street)
Kicking off this year’s SnowDays are three exciting new events you won’t want to miss. Street party meets terrain park showdown at The Big Bear on January 10. Next, honour Canada’s Olympic hopefuls and wish them success in Sochi 2014 along side CBC’s George Stroumboulopoulos and the Juno Award-winning bands The Sheepdogs and The Arkells at the Molson Canadian Block Party presented by Hilton HHonors™ on January 11. Breathtaking backdrops will complement TSN’s annual Skins Game on January 11 & 12 as world-class curlers showcase their talent at The Travelers All-Star Curling Skins Game presented by Pinty’s.
Rounding out the first weekend are loads of exhilarating outdoor activities including the Slide & Ride, an ice playground and a 40ft ice climbing wall in downtown Banff!
The Ice Magic Festival, is two weekends of icy fun. The International Ice Carving Competition January 17 – 19 is celebrating 20 years! And January 25 & 26 is the Little Chippers Weekend which is jam packed with activities for the kids.
Discover the magic of climbing waterfall ice with MEC Ice Climbing Festival premiering this year in the heart of downtown Banff. January 31-February 2 will be a weekend dedicated to celebrating the sport of ice climbing.
Take It To The Street, wraps up SnowDays February 8 & 9 with a quintessentially Canadian game of 3 on 3 ball hockey in downtown Banff. Whether you’re watching from the sidelines or facing off at centre “street”, this tournament promises some bonding time with friends and family, complete with a healthy dose of rivalry!
Create your own winter adventure by pairing a weekend festival with ongoing activities such as skating, skiing, snowshoeing, dog sledding, Geocaching or a sleigh ride, just to mention a few!
Finish off your day with delicious après-ski eats and drink specials by a crackling fire, then soak up the majestic scenery from the Banff Upper Hot Springs.
For more info on Banff’s SnowDays, see https://www.banfflakelouise.com/Area-Events/Festivals/Winter/SnowDays
SnowOnline Editor: Lori Knowles
