Ice festival slides into downtown Dartmouth

Most of the snow has vanished, but there’s a 100 per cent chance of ice in downtown Dartmouth this weekend. And it will be carved into pretty shapes.

The Downtown Dartmouth Ice Festival started Friday and runs all weekend.

Portland Street will be closed to traffic from Alderney Drive to Victoria Road all weekend for the festival, which offers ice carving as well as circus and musical performances.

The street party starts Saturday (noon to 5 p.m.) with activities and ice carving.

Nine ice carvers will be at work. Joining local ice carvers are artists from Nunavut and New Brunswick.

Ice artist Richard Chiasson from Création Glace in N.B. is returning to the festival and he brought ice blocks for more than 40 carvings with him.

On Saturday, they’ll be carving at these locations:

■ along Portland Street

■ Kings Wharf

■ Alderney Landing

■ The Sanctuary Arts Centre at 100 Ochterloney Street

■ East Coast Credit Union at 155 Ochterloney Street

The ice sculptures will be on display until they melt.

Temperatures this weekend are expected to reach highs of 3C to 4C.

FESTIVAL STAGES

There’s a lot of live music happening this weekend for the festival, including Reeny Smith, who will take the stage on Saturday at 9:30 p.m. at New Scotland Brewing Co. The full lineup is listed at www.downtowndartmouth.ca

Fire performers Lumen Lux and Mizz Anthrope of Luminosity Circus will have shows outside at Alderney Landing on Saturday at 7 p.m., 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.

On Sunday, the ice carvings will be on display.