View source for Winterlude

{{Short description|Annual winter festival held in Ottawa, Ontario and Gatineau, Quebec}}
{{other uses}}
{{Infobox recurring event
| name         = Winterlude
| logo         = 
| logo_alt     =
| logo_caption = 
| logo_size    =
| image        = Winterlude-Bal de neige (387479407).jpg
| image_size   = 295px
| alt          =
| caption      = An ice sculpture bearing the Winterlude logo.
| status       = 
| genre        = [[Winter festival]]
| date         = <!-- {{start date|YYYY|mm|dd}} "dates=" also works, but do not use both -->
|begins        = {{start date|2025|01|31}}
|ends          = {{end date|2025|02|17}}
| frequency    = Annually
| venue        = [[Confederation Park]]<br />[[Jacques-Cartier Park (Gatineau)|Jacques Cartier Park]]<br />[[Rideau Canal#Skateway|Rideau Canal Skateway]]
| location     = [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]] <br>[[Gatineau]], [[Quebec]]
| coordinates  = <!-- {{coord|LAT|LON|type:event|display=inline,title}} -->
| country      = [[Canada]]
| years_active = 
| first        = {{start date|1979}}
| founder_name = 
| prev         = February 2 - 19, 2024
| next         = January 31 - February 17, 2025
| participants = 
| attendance   = 
| capacity     =
| area         = 
| budget       = 
| activity     = 
| leader_name  =
| patron       = 
| organised    = [[Department of Canadian Heritage|Canadian Heritage]]
| filing       = 
| people       = 
| member       = 
| sponsor      = <!-- | or sponsors = -->
| website      = {{URL|https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winterlude.html|Winterlude}}
| footnotes    = 
}}
[[File:Rideau Canal in winter.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|alt=|People ice skating on the Rideau Canal in Ottawa, January 2005.]]

'''Winterlude''' is an annual [[winter festival]] held in [[Ottawa]], [[Ontario]] and [[Gatineau]], [[Quebec]] (collectively known as the [[National Capital Region (Canada)|National Capital Region]]).

Winterlude is run by the [[Department of Canadian Heritage]] and was started in 1979. The event is one of Ottawa's most important tourist draws, attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. In 2007, it set a new attendance record of  estimated 1.6 million visits to one of the four Winterlude sites, and that record still stands as of 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=2007: 1.6 million visitors attend Winterlude |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winterlude/about/over-years.html |website=Canadian Heritage |date=22 November 2018 |access-date=10 January 2024}}</ref> BizBash has recognized Winterlude as one of the top 100 annual attractions in [[Canada]] and the [[United States]].<ref>{{cite web |title=StackPath |url=https://www.bizbash.com/production-strategy/event-production-fabrication/media-gallery/21809248/us-and-canada-parades-festivals-holiday-events-2021 |date=6 November 2021 |access-date=30 January 2022}}</ref>

==Activities==
===Attractions===
The focal point of Winterlude is the [[Rideau Canal#Skateway|Rideau Canal Skateway]] which at 7.8 kilometres (approximately 5 miles) is the largest skating rink in the world.

Another primary site is the Snowflake Kingdom, which is located in [[Jacques-Cartier Park (Gatineau)|Jacques-Cartier Park]] in Gatineau. This site is turned into a massive "snow park" with ice slides and snow sculptures and also hosts numerous events and activities for children.

[[Confederation Park]], better known as Crystal Garden, is the site for the ice sculpture competition, the ice lounge and musical concerts. Marion Dewar Plaza at City Hall (across from Confederation Park) is the site of the Rink of Dreams, an ice-skating rink that hosts skating shows, DJ dance parties and interactive art displays throughout the Festival. [[Dow's Lake]] also has a large skating area and hosts various activities.

Related activities include special exhibits at numerous Ottawa museums, special events in the [[ByWard Market]], [[Sparks Street]], and a variety of other events throughout the city.

The festival features mascots called "Ice Hogs," fictional groundhog-like creatures. Legend has it they emerged during the last Ice Age from a magical ice vortex. Their presence brings a touch of magic to Winterlude, delighting both young and old who appreciate the winter season.<ref>{{cite web |title=Winterlude mascots — the Ice Hog Family |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winterlude/about.html |website=Canadian Heritage |date=1 January 2024 |access-date=10 January 2024}}</ref>

Corridas 
Several racing events are held in conjunction with Winterlude. The [[Gatineau Loppet]], inaugurated in 1979, is an internationally recognized [[Cross-country skiing (sport)|cross-country]] ski race that takes place in [[Gatineau Park]]. The event also holds [[Snowshoe running|snowshoe]] and [[Fatbike]] races.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Greatest International Event of Cross-Country Ski in Canada |url=https://gatineauloppet.com/?lang=en |website=Gatineau Loppet |access-date=5 January 2024}}</ref> Since 1984, the Winterlude Triathlon has also been part of the festival. The format and location of the [[winter triathlon]] has changed frequently over the years. The race currently consists of a 8&nbsp;km skate across the Rideau Canal, a 5&nbsp;km run along [[Colonel By Drive]], and a 6&nbsp;km ski at [[Mooney's Bay Park]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Winterlude Over the Years |url=https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winterlude/about/over-years.html |website=Government of Canada |access-date=21 October 2020}}</ref> Other race events include "bed racing" and "ice dragon boat" racing.<ref>{{cite web |title=Bed Race for Kiwanis Club of Ottawa |url=https://www.ottawakiwanis.org/bedrace |website=Kiwanis Club of Ottawa  |access-date=10 January 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Ice Dragon Boat Festival |url=https://www.icedragonboat.ca |website=Ice Dragon Boat Festival |access-date=10 January 2024}}</ref>

==Duration==
Winterlude spans three weekends, usually in February, and typically concludes on Family Day, which falls on a Monday. Between the first and second weekends, and the second and third weekends, there are very few events scheduled from Monday to Thursday. This results in a less crowded skating rink and pristine ice conditions, with only around a thousand skaters sharing it compared to larger numbers on weekends. Skate changing shacks and food catering kiosks along the skateway remain open during the weekdays.

The weather in Ottawa is notoriously unpredictable, and Winterlude often is hampered by warm temperatures. Mild weather is the bane of the Canal, as proper ice conditions require -10&nbsp;°C/14&nbsp;°F for proper freezing. The length of the skating season (which often extends past Winterlude) is therefore unpredictable. However, most events are usually not affected other than premature melting of ice and snow sculptures. The average length to which the canal is open for skating is 50 days, but varies greatly. In the 2001–2002 season there was a (then) record low 34 days of skating. The very next season, 2002–2003, the canal was open for a near-record high 72 days. The longest skating season was 1971–1972, lasting 95 days. The shortest was 2015–2016, lasting just 18 days.<ref>{{cite web |title=History of the Rideau Canal Skateway |url=https://ncc-ccn.gc.ca/places/history-rideau-canal-skateway |website=National Capital Commission (NCC) |access-date=10 January 2024}}</ref>

==Gallery==
<gallery mode="packed">
File:CHAC ABEL Y BANDERA.jpg|Mexican ice sculptor [[Abel Ramírez Águilar]] with his creation.
File:Winterlude Ice Train.JPG|[[Confederation Park]] ice sculptures lit nightly.
File:Balnaphone2010 02 09 13 37 53.jpg|H2Orchestra performs outside [[Canadian Museum of Civilization]].
File:DowsLakeSkating.png|Skating at [[Dow's Lake]].
File:Winterlude Merlin.jpg|Stilt performance at [[Jacques-Cartier Park (Gatineau)|Jacques-Cartier Park]].
</gallery>

==See also==
* [[Winter festival]]

==References==
<references/>

==External links==
*{{commons category-inline}}

*The official website for [https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/winterlude.html Winterlude]

{{Ottawa landmarks}}
{{Gatineau}}

{{coord|45.42|N|75.69|W|display=title}}

[[Category:Festivals in Ottawa]]
[[Category:Festivals in Gatineau]]
[[Category:Festivals established in 1979]]
[[Category:Winter festivals in Canada]]
[[Category:National Capital Commission]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in Ontario]]
[[Category:1979 establishments in Quebec]]
[[Category:Department of Canadian Heritage]]
[[Category:Annual events in Ottawa]]