Ice Fest Weekend is a four-day celebration in five towns of Haywood County! Enjoy scheduled events, pop-ups, and local deals. Experience stunning ice installations, live music, skating, and delicious themed food and drinks.
Four days, five towns, endless winter magic. Join Haywood County for Ice Fest Weekend 2027. This celebration is packed with scheduled events, ice sculptures, live music, and winter pop-ups.
Kick off the weekend on Thursday with a Cool Jazz concert at HART Theatre, head to Canton’s winter-themed Mill Around Town event on Friday, and watch Waynesville’s Main Street light up during Saturday’s iconic Ice Block Party. All weekend long, lace up your skates in Canton, snap pics along Maggie Valley's snow globe trail, wander Lake Junaluska’s Ice Light Garden, and vote in the "Anything But Snow" Snowman Contest. Bundle up and join us for the coolest party of the year!
Where
When
Duration
Attendees
Saturday, January 30 | 3-9 PM
Explore the Ice Block Party in Downtown Waynesville on Saturday night of the Visit Haywood Ice Fest Weekend, and watch it come alive with enchanting ice sculptures lining the streets. You’ll find local businesses keeping their doors open late, offering cozy treats to keep you fueled as you admire frozen masterpieces.
When: Thursday 7-9 PM & Sunday 2-5 PM
Start the weekend somewhere warm before heading back out into it. HART Theatre hosts a live jazz set in partnership with the Haywood Arts Council, with great musicians to come and enjoy. It’s an easy entry point into the weekend, and a good excuse to sit still and enjoy the music for a minute.
When: Open all weekend
Step out of the noise and into something quieter. Tucked into the Susanna Wesley Garden, the Ice Garden trades crowds for atmosphere, with glowing installations, light-up snowflakes, and lanterns that make the whole space feel a little removed from everything else happening.
When: Open all weekend
Lace up and commit to it at Sorrells Street Park. The rink is open to everyone, from people who know what they’re doing to people who absolutely don’t, and that’s kind of the point. Between the music, the lights, and the steady stream of near-misses, it’s less about skill and more about showing up.
When: Friday (TBD)
Get into the Ice Fest spirit at Canton’s winter-themed Mill Around Town event. Stroll through Canton’s historic downtown and enjoy cozy shops, local vendors, and live entertainment. It is the perfect walkable prelude to a weekend packed with fun.
When: Open all weekend
Take a stroll through a trail of life-sized snow globes, each with its own wintery scene to discover. Explore the displays, snap a few photos and enjoy the Ice Fest magic along the way.
When: Open all weekend
Think outside the box and get creative with your snowman. The “Anything but Snow” snowman contest challenges entrants to build a snowman using, you guessed it, anything but snow. Check out the creative entires and vote for your favorite.
You’ll be outside more than you think, and standing around is colder than moving.
Especially in Waynesville. The less you’re in your car, the better the night goes. Get the parking map here.
Weather happens, things shift, and some of the best parts aren’t on the calendar anyway. Know where the installations are located—map here.
