A MAGICAL winter wonderland has been unveiled in Ballarat.
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A pop-up ice rink, the centerpiece of Ballarat’s first Winterlude was officially launched on Friday.
The festival opens to the public on Saturday and is expected to draw more than 90,000 people to the heart of the city over the coming weeks.
Ballarat Regional Tourism chief executive George Sossi anticipated the festival would boost the economy by more than a million dollars.
“It will depend on the mix of day trips and overnight stays the festival brings,” Mr Sossi said.
“But we are expecting in excess of ninety thousand people coming this year and we expect that number will continue to grow and grow each year as more people hear about it.”
Mr Sossi said patrons can expect an expect a “real white winter experience.”
“In a way we’ve always shied away and had an excuse for the cold in Ballarat but this year we thought why not embrace it?” Mr Sossi said. “We decided to make the most of it and create a stand-out offering for the city.”
Ballarat mayor John Philips said city’s chilly start to winter provided the perfect backdrop.
“There is something for all ages,” Cr Philips said. “We are encouraging families to rug up and come out and make the most of it this winter.”
Professional junior ice skater Lucette Horsfield was also at the launch of the festival.
She took to the rink with the city’s own Princess Samara who was dressed fittingly in her Queen Elsa Frozen dress.
Earlier this month, Samara,3, was racially vilified in Melbourne while she was dressed up as the Disney character.
Along with the pop-up ice skating rink, Sovereign Hill will run a Winter Wonderlights show and the Festival of the Flame will take place at Kryal Castle.
Ballarat’s laneways will also be filled with winter warmers with gourmet food, beer and live music in the coming weeks.
The city’s ice skating rink on Armstrong Street between the Town Hall and Myer will be open everyday between 9.30am and 7.30pm until 12 July.
The Winterlude festival runs from June 28 to August 2.