The Gimli Ice Festival is preparing for its 15th anniversary from March 6 to March 8, 2026, in Gimli, Manitoba. This milestone edition aims to boost the local economy and bring the community together through traditional winter activities and cultural displays.
Co-chairs Susan and Peter Holfeuer lead the festival, which transforms the Gimli Harbour area and the frozen surface of Lake Winnipeg into a busy site for ice racing and ice carvings. The Rural Municipality of Gimli provides venue support and infrastructure cooperation for the event, which was a finalist for Travel Manitoba’s “Event of the Year” in 2023.
Visitors can expect signature events such as the “Fire & Ice” car racing, managed in partnership with the Winnipeg Sports Car Club (WSCC), and the frozen fish toss. Organizers have worked with the Gimli International Film Festival and other local groups to highlight the area’s Icelandic heritage through arts and culture, and similar collaborations are expected for the 15th anniversary.
Full details for the 2026 program and volunteer sign-up information are expected to be released in January 2026. The festival committee relies on community volunteers and corporate sponsors to keep the event running as a winter staple for the Interlake region.
