The festivities are set to kick-off Friday at the Southern Ontario Ice Festival.
This will be the 5th year the festival has been put on. It will kick-off on Friday, which is the registration day, so Andriy Kolos, one of the event’s organizers, says it will be more of a socialization day. The weekend is when the fun starts, he says. Saturday will be when all the clinics open up for festival-goers. There will also be outdoor clothing companies on-site selling their newest products, Kolos says. At night there will be a dinner held at the Community Centre in Maynooth and two presentations will be at The Arlington. The event will wrap up on Sunday at 4 PM with the vendors opening once again and clinics being held throughout the day.
Kolos says that while climbing can be “slow and methodical” it’s fascinating to watch. He adds that he expects, as usual, the clinics to be the most popular part of the show. Every year they sell-out in only a few hours.
“It’s pretty rare we (ice climbers) can get together with all out friends in one room during the winner because typically everyone is scattered across the province searching for ice to climb,” Kolos says about the event.
Everyone is welcome to attend the event. You can find out more at the Southern Ontario Ice Festival’s website.