Event: Canada

Ice Magic

When:	Jan 2008 (annual)
Where:	Lake Louise

Ice Magic is an annual international ice sculpture competition and exhibition held throughout Lake Louise, in the heart of Banff National Park.

Staged in the shadow of the glacier-clad Mount Victoria on the shores of Lake Louise, professional teams carve at Chateau Lake Louise, creating a crystalline walkway of world-class ice carving. Teams of three carve 15 blocks, weighing 300 pounds each, into breathtaking sculptures, each a minimum of seven feet high. The resulting exhibition allows locals and visitors alike to marvel at this highly skilled and unusual competitive art form.

In the village of Lake Louise, individual carvers also compete at the Lake Louise Inn and Post Hotel. Over the course of the weekend these carvers sculpt five ice blocks into art forms. Over at the Samson Mall, children and parents can join in at the Little Chippers Station and discover the wonders of chipping and creating their favourite characters in ice.

Finished sculptures are judged by International Ice Carving Association officials, while the public can vote for their favourite sculptures in the People's Choice Award. Visitors can view the remaining sculptures until March (weather permitting), so get there before they melt away.