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Lion Dance Troupe added to the line-up for biggest outdoor Ice Trail in UK
The streets of York will be alive with traditional Chinese dance at the York Ice Trail this coming Saturday 2 February. Ahead of Chinese New Year celebrations, Leeds based dance troupe, Seaman, will bring dancing, music and colour to the event with a spectacular performance at 4pm in St Helen’s Square. The Lion Dance troupe has four key members; the lion’s head, lion’s tail, a drum and gong player.
The biggest outdoor Ice Trail in the UK, 35,000 people visited in 2017, demonstrating its popularity with both residents and visitors alike. Fire and Ice are promised at this year’s event too, sponsored by the York BID and organised by Make It York. In China the phoenix is known as a messenger of happiness and it was once believed to only appear during times of peace and prosperity. To bring cheer to the dark winter months, another highlight of the trail will be live carving of a phoenix which once complete will be set on fire. As in previous years the live carving session, from 12 noon in St Helen’s Square, will offer the chance to see the incredible skill behind these icy creations.
The 2019 trail will see fifty sculptures depicting myths and legends, transform historic York. The trail has proved a real hit with visitors and residents alike who can follow it to find the frosty sculptures made from crystal-clear ice sprinkled across York’s historic centre and surrounding streets.
New this year will be interactive sculptures on Parliament Street including a carving wall, where visitors can get hands on and have a go at sculpting the ice. There will also be a three metre long Shuffleboard, where visitors can push disks along the ice to win points and prizes. Three of the sculptures will offer a live challenge where visitors can win York Passes, tickets for the Everyman cinema and chocolate bars. There’ll be a hero camp at Middleton’s Hotel, complete with a fire pit, ice sculptures and Thwaite’s horse and cart will be making an appearance too. Children dressing up for the event as their favourite hero will get a free mini hot chocolate.
Paul Whiting, Head of Visit York, said: “We’re delighted the Chinese Lion dancers have confirmed they can come along this weekend. It will add even more fun to the Ice Trail. We’re adding new elements to the event each year and we’re expecting to attract thousands of additional visitors into the city centre. It’s a fabulous family friendly event and free for everyone to enjoy.”
Mat Foster, Creative Director, Glacial Art, said: “York Ice Trail is the highlight of our year. We’ll be hand carving over eight tonnes of ice to spread the magic all across the city. We can’t wait to see the reaction to it.”
Andrew Lowson, Executive Director, York BID, said: “We’re delighted to back the York Ice Trail again. It’s an event that drives footfall to key businesses around the city and is especially popular with families. February can be a more challenging time for traders in the city and this move to February will help us work together to increase footfall and retail spend.”
www.visityork.org/whats-on/ice-trail