Holiday news
ICE! holiday sensation returns to Gaylord Texan Grapevine after 2-year freeze out
One of the most popular holiday traditions in all of Dallas-Fort Worth is finally making its post-pandemic return: ICE! returns to Grapevine's Gaylord Texan Resort for the 2022 holiday season.
According to an August 17 release, ICE! will run November 11, 2022-January 1, 2023 and will have a Polar Express theme. Tickets ($16.99-$34.99) are now on sale.
The beloved holiday movie will be brought to life by a team of 40 ice artisans from China using more than 1,000 tons (2 million pounds) of ice from 6,700 massive blocks. They'll work for about six weeks, over 12,000 hours, to create the 17,000-square-foot, frozen attraction, organizers say.
"The artisans, using skills passed down from generation to generation, follow a 300-page design book to create the spectacle. Ice carvings range in size from details as tiny as a coin to soaring scenes more than 30 feet tall," the release describes. "The environment will be kept frozen by a state-of-the-art chilling system that maintains the temperature at a frosty 9 degrees Fahrenheit."
Visitors shouldn't worry about frost bite, though, as they'll receive parkas to wear, as in years past. Besides walking through the sculpture presentation, guests will be able ride down two-story-tall ice slides, traverse through ice tunnels and arches, and visit Carver’s Showcase to see live sculpting demonstrations, organizers say.
The whole experience will conclude with a dramatic Nativity scene, carved from crystal-clear ice.
“We can’t wait for our guests to once again experience the magic and wonder of ICE! during this year’s Lone Star Christmas celebration,” says Chuck Pacioni, general manager of Gaylord Texan Resort, in the release. “Since debuting here in 2005, ICE! has always been a one-of-a-kind attraction for our guests, and we’re excited to welcome this Gaylord Hotels tradition back this year with The Polar Express and all the beloved characters from the classic holiday movie.”
This will be the Gaylord's 15th year to present the exhibition, which will run as part of the resort's Lone Star Christmas festivities. Other attractions will include “Cirque: Winter Wonderland;" "#LIT Light Show" synchronized "dancing" Christmas trees; three interactive escape rooms; an ice skating rink (separate from another Grapevine skating rink); a Christmas carousel ride; and much more.
The Gaylord is also unwrapping some new special room packages for this year's holiday season; for more information, visit ChristmasAtGaylordTexan.com.
