Winterlight 2019
Parramatta's Prince Alfred Square will transform into an ice park and winter market this July.
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Overview
While Australian winters can get pretty chilly, we're not often blessed with really fun cold weather (much to our disappointment). We don't really get snow — or any of the fun activities that it encourages.
Thankfully, the Winterlight wonderland in Parramatta's Prince Alfred Square‚ back for a ninth year in 2019, is aiming to right this grievous wrong. From Friday, July 5, you can delve into the kind of winters you see in movies. The festival has all the icy activities you could ever want to try — from zooming down a slick ice slide to gliding gracefully across an ice pond (otherwise known as ice skating).
A turn about the rink will cost $24 (including skate hire), but after you ease your tired feet back into normal shoes and try to remember how to walk, the real fun begins. Winterlight will be decked out with a delicious range of market stalls serving up belly-warming winter treats. Parramatta's Live and Local musicians will provide the soundtrack while you eat and, once you've suitably warmed yourself back up, you can enjoy the amusement rides (including a ferris wheel), circus skills workshops and the interactive neon art installation.
There are a couple of themed nights on the agenda, too. First up is 'date night' on Thursday, July 11, which includes a free silent cinema. Meanwhile, Thursday, July 18 is 'neon night', which will see the ice rink lit up under vivid UV lights — plus, free UV face painting and roving neon performers. Oh, and if you visit between Monday, July 8 and Thursday, July 11, the first-ever Parramatta Night Markets will be happening nearby.
Take some time to head over to Market Street and peruse the stalls offering fashion, gifts, homewares and — most importantly — some winter-appropriate food. Think bite-sized waffles on sticks, smoked meats from Blacktown's Black Bear BBQ, coffee-filled waffle cones and even a Gelato Messina station where you can build your own sundae.
Winterlight will be open Sunday to Thursday from 11am till 10pm and Friday to Saturday from 10am till 11pm. To purchase tickets, head this way.
Images: Katrina James, Ali Mousawi and George Gittany. Updated: July 4, 2019.
