About program

Come enjoy the winter in Estonia!

Wintry Estonia offers the visitor endless opportunities for sampling winter pleasures – snow cities, sledding slopes, skating rinks and winter parks, ski paths, sleigh rides, kick sled trips and much, much more. The white winter ways meander even through the city parks filled with light and a sled and skis are a means of transport perfectly suitable for the urban environment.

But outside the city a fairy-tale land unfolds itself. The infinitely pure white, shimmering ice field that takes you to the horizon – the ice-covered sea that offers an unforgettable experience through a car trip on the frozen sea – and the magical elven forests by the highway with their white snow caps on firs and pines, and the boughs covered in hoarfrost.

Ice Festival has surprises for the whole family

Pärnu Ice Festival 17.-26.02.2012

In February, when the sea and the river are covered with ice and skates and skis invite you to enjoy yourself, Pärnu attracts families from all across the world. The Pärnu Ice Festival brings summery crowds back to the wintry resort and covers the 10 days with a vibrant patchwork of events. The festival has ice and snow, hikes and sporting events, music and dance, theater and arts and crafts, snow picnics and sleigh rides – and to top it all off, the birthday of Estonia. During the festival, all family members of any age can find something to do and enjoy. The festival is organized with the help of many tourism companies, organizations, artists, schools and associations from Pärnumaa and Estonia.

This year's festival surprises with a winter park and an ice castle built in the downtown area. The winter park provides opportunities for skiing, skating, ice hockey, kick sled trips, sleigh rides and rail jam ski tricks. A lit ice castle invites you to check out the ice show, allows you to study ice, offers performances and music and refreshments at the ice bar.
 

Ice and fire show

The festival is opened with an ice and fire show with dancers, skaters and tricksters.
Saturday the 18th of February invites you to peek both on and under the ice. That's when the Estonian champions in ice-fishing will be determined and one can see an icy dip in the hole cut into the ice, witness the Estonian Rescue Board demonstration of rescuing somebody drowning in the ice hole; there will also be fish filleting competitions, a fish market and the tasting of fishy dishes. Fishing aficionados can visit an exposition of fishing equipment and get acquainted with under-ice fishing.

The day program also offers a spectacular ice hockey battle between the teams of famous Estonian athletes and musicians, and there will also be chances to participate in skiing and skating contests. The evening will bring lovely concerts and a program of bars and cafes.
 

Let's build a city from snow!

On Sunday, the festival will witness the creation of a brand new city – a snow city that talks about the historical symbols of Pärnumaa. A trip to the snow city allows you to catch a glimpse of the olden days and to discover the tales of Pärnumaa. The building of the snow city celebrates the completion of the new building for the Pärnu Museum.
 

Ice science, Shrove Tuesday and fashion shows

Monday is Ice Science Day at the festival, providing opportunity for finding out more about what has been discovered when studying ice.

Tuesday, February the 21st, is related to an ancient Estonian tradition – we celebrate Shrove Tuesday that brings both locals and visitors to frolic on the slopes of the Vallikääru.

Shrove Tuesday was the day that ended a period of feasting that had begun on Christmas and the tradition was to eat up to seven times a day. The Shrove Tuesday set of customs and menu has remained much the same thanks to children and youngsters. In addition to pork trotters, salted beans and pea soup, the Shrove Tuesday specialty is the Shrove Tuesday bun. Sledding is also popular to this day. During the second half of the 20th century people still attempted to take a horse and sleigh ride and to slide down the slopes in big sleds and sleighs, but by the end of the century a piece of plastic or any kind of sled or flat board etc was suitable for coming down a slope. As in the days of yore, people still compete for the longest slide. In the 19th and 20th centuries this was believed to ensure great flax harvests.

Wednesday the 22nd of February will bring wintry outfits on the snowy catwalk and introduce works by fashion designers.
 

Estonia's party

February the 23rd is a historical day for Pärnu – this is when the Estonian manifesto of independence was read out to the public. Thus the Ice Festival celebrates Estonia's birthday for a whopping two days – on Thursday by telling tales of Pärnu and reading out the manifesto, and on Friday with a true Estonia's party where the free air stage will witness performances by Estonian freedom singers, accompanied by the symphonic orchestra, and the party is enjoyed by both the old and the young.

On Saturday the 25th of February, you can see floodlit performances by freestyle skiers called jibbers – it's the jibbers.org Rail Jam and the closing festivities of the festival.

On Sunday, the final day of the festival, it's time to put on some skis or to take a kick sled trip to Jõulumäe – the Pärnumaa winter sports center where the open events end the 10 days of winter festivities.

Come and stay!