Festival goes on ice

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The ice rink concept

Media release from the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival

14 June 2011

Festival goes on ice

Construction will start this Friday (17 June) to the focal point of this year’s American Express Queenstown Winter Festival, the Wonderland Ice Rink.

The magical outdoor Ice Skating Rink is to be constructed atop of Horne Creek on Queenstown’s Village Green and will take approximately seven days to erect before opening to skaters on Festival Opening Day next Friday (24 June).

Festival Director Simon Green said he’s thrilled to welcome the masterpiece for this year’s Festival and was looking forward to seeing the rink finished and fully operational.

“After coming up with the initial idea back in 2006 it’s extremely exciting to think that in a little over a week’s time Queenstowners will be ice skating over our Village Green,” he said.

“It’s with great thanks to the huge amount of time and energy from the companies working in partnership with us, the Stars On Ice, Red Events and Event Scaffolding and Lakes Environmental, that this dream will become a reality in what is a first for New Zealand.”

The 15m2 rink, due to arrive in Queenstown tomorrow, has travelled from the USA and uses more than 20,000 litres of water frozen over three days to form the ice surface before the fun can begin.

“The Ice Rink is set to make Queenstown’s CBD come alive during Festival, especially at night when there’ll be fairy lights up in the trees, icicle lights around the rink and even a magical Cinderella carriage for people to have their photos taken in,” said Mr Green.

The rink will host a ‘Stars on Ice’ show at midday on Tuesday 28 June featuring 18-year old figure skater Chris Boyd, local skaters from the Queenstown Figure Skating Club, Queenstown Ice Arena Skate School and Australian figure skater Brooke Crawford. There will also be an Ice Hockey display from the Queenstown Ice Hockey Club.

Ice Skating session times are 45mins and commence on the hour from 10am to 9pm daily. Tickets cost from $10 - $22 (including skate hire) and can be pre-purchased online at www.winterfestival.co.nz and at the Queenstown i-SITE Information Centre on the corner of Shotover and Camp Streets or brought at the rink (cash only) on the day.

American Express Card holders can turn up on the day and skate for free with a partner (limited to first 80 cardholders per day).

The Southern Hemisphere’s biggest winter party, the American Express Queenstown Winter Festival returns from June 24 to 3 July for ten days of winter fun in Queenstown New Zealand.

Tens of thousands of locals and visitors are expected to take to Queenstown’s streets and ski slopes to celebrate the official start of winter with heaps of on-mountain action, outrageous, fun and glamorous events from street parties, parades and fireworks to live concerts, comedy and theatre.

To see the full line up of the programme and individual event details check out the complete American Express Queenstown Winter Festival calendar online at www.winterfestival.co.nz or pick up a programme at information outlets throughout the region.

Tickets for all events can be bought from TicketDirect online at www.ticketdirect.co.nz, by phone 0800 224 224 (03 450 9110), or in person at the Queenstown Events Centre or Queenstown i-Site (corner of Shotover and Camp streets)*.

* Ticket service fees apply.

Winter Starts Here! From 24 June to 3 July the 2011 American Express Queenstown Winter Festival celebrates 37 years of winter fun and festivities with 10 days of totally outrageous and uniquely Queenstown events. Join us on Facebook, become a Friend of Festival and keep an eye on www.winterfestival.co.nz to be first with the latest news and hot updates.

ENDS

Festival Background

Since first being staged in 1975 by Queenstowners who thought the arrival of snow was a ‘great excuse for a party’, the Festival has evolved to forge a unique identity as New Zealand’s premier celebration of all things winter. Now an iconic event cemented on New Zealand’s calendar, it attracts 45,000 attendees and injects a whopping $57 million back into the local economy.

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