iN PHOTOS: Vernon Winter Carnival pulls pandemic pivot with drive-thru ice sculpture park

Volunteers were putting the final touches to the Vernon Winter Carnival drive-thru Ice Park in Polson Park this morning, and one vehicle had already lined up 20 minutes before the gate was due to open.

The 61st Vernon Winter Carnival kicks off today, Feb. 5, and while the pandemic has made the carnival look quite different this year, one of the festival's main events, the Vernon Winter Carnival drive-thru Ice Park is sure to be popular.

"Our main goal was just to give something fun for the community to do," carnival executive director Vicki Proulx told iNFOnews.ca said. "We're really proud of how it came together and we hope that everyone enjoys it, and it's just something fun you can do with your family."

Polson Park has been transformed into a drive-thru wild west winter playground, featuring multiple ice sculptures and wild west displays.

Brian Rouble, together with a team of three, created an ice sculpture of cactuses.

Rouble normally carves snow and has travelled the country and displayed his sculptures at SilverStar Mountain Resort for the last 12 years. But the mild weather and Polson Park location, instead of up at the higher and colder SilverStar, put snow out of the question, so he turned his hand to ice.

"A chainsaw makes it really accessible," Rouble said, adding any mistakes can be taken care of with a little water.

It took Rouble and his team about 15 hours to complete the cactuses.

And how does he feel about the fact that after all that hard work they just melt away?

"That's live art," he said.

The majority of the sculptures were created by professional chainsaw carver Ryan Cook who has been featured on reality TV shows Carver Kings and Saw Dogs.

Tickets for the Vernon Winter Carnival drive-thru Ice Park cost $10 per vehicle and runs four times a day throughout the carnival.

To purchase tickets and for more information about Vernon Winter Carnival events go here.

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