An Ontario street transforming into a huge snow tubing hill this month

A massive snow hill is taking over a street right in the middle of an Ontario town. Though it may sound like a nuisance to those on the road, it’s far from it! It’s part of the Fire and Ice Festival that Bracebridge enjoys every year and it returns this weekend for one day only.

Bracebridge, Ontario, will host the snow-capped event on Jan. 25, 2025, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., so to me, that means nine hours of tubing time if you start early.

But what’s cool about this festival is that although it’s all about winter, organizers have added fire displays and ice sculptures to stay true to its name.

There’s so much going on during Fire and Ice that there’s even an online schedule to help break down the day’s activities.

Photo by Town of Bracebridge

We’re talking life-sized games, performers, an 80s-inspired Ski Lodge, an interactive drum circle, and outdoor skating in the winter village. And there is something new being added to this year’s festivities.

“We are excited to have a Glice rink to compliment the Memorial Park skating rink,” shares Jacqueline Fulton, Communications Coordinator from the Town for Bracebridge, with me.

“Glice is a synthetic surface for skating and there will be skates and helmets available for rent.” And these rentals are free which makes it even better! Maybe this is the year I’ll learn to skate.

But before I face my greatest weakness, there’s one adventure I wouldn’t dare miss out on. Picture this: a 200-foot-long downhill tubing adventure in the middle of a town.

The snow hill is clearly the showstopper of it all and a popular choice amongst the crowd during the festival.

Photo by Town of Bracebridge

So how does it get set up? Well, according to Fulton it’s thanks to trucks. Lots of them.

In fact, it takes about 75 truckloads of snow to build this snowy masterpiece. That’s a lot of dedication for a day festival, but I love it!

According to Fulton, the idea of creating this toboggan run was actually the “jumping off” point for the whole festival.

“In the fall of 2014, the Bracebridge BIA endeavoured to create an event that would attract visitors to the area during its winter shoulder season and at the same time resurrect a traditional winter carnival for residents, something that the community had been without for over a decade,” adds Fulton.

Photo by Town of Bracebridge

It wasn’t until 2016 that the first Fire and Ice Festival was launched and they welcomed about 4,500 visitors. Eleven years later and the town continues to find success in the annual event, one that the community looks forward to every year.

Though festivities will go on into the late hours, the lineup for the snow hill closes off at 5 p.m. Any new joiners afterwards will not be able to partake in the fun.

So if I were you, I’d get my tickets online before attending. They’re available for $10 per person but you can also get them in person if paid by cash. And it includes access to the tube run.

Looks like I’m making a trip up north this weekend!