FROSTY sculptures made from ice will transform York city centre this weekend.

A glittering Marilyn Monroe, a Nutcracker and a UFO astronaut are among the 35 characters forming the Ice Trail over Saturday and Sunday.

For the first time this year Gillygate, Fossgate, Walmgate, Goodramgate and Kings Staith are included on the trail.

As part of the event, there will also be festive treats at street food stalls, and an outdoor picnic at the Shambles Food Court .

Live carving sessions will offer the chance to see the skill behind the icy creations on Saturday and Sunday in St Helen’s Square at 3pm.

Kate McMullen, head of tourism at Make It York, said: “The Ice Trail was a big hit with visitors and residents last year and we’re delighted to bring it back for this year’s Christmas Festival

“We couldn’t put this on without the support of our sponsor TalkTalk, the York BID and York’s businesses and retailers, their support has been fantastic.

“We hope this will now become a firm favourite in York’s festive calendar, offering another fantastic reason to book a Christmas break in the city.”

A highlight on the trail will be the chance to win a precious gemstone outside Bradley’s Jewellers; visitors can guess the value of a stunning platinum and sapphire diamond ring.

An Ice Trail Map is available free of charge from the Visit York Information Centre at Museum Street.

Richard Sinclair, general manager for the event’s sponsors, TalkTalk’s Ultra Fibre Optic Broadband, said: “We’re thrilled to be part of such a wonderful event that’s at the heart of York. The Ice Trail was a huge success last year and a fantastic opportunity for members of our Ultra Fibre Optic Broadband team to meet with the local community.

“We can’t wait to return this year.”

Matt Foster, Creative Director, Glacial Art, said: “The York Ice Trail is the highlight of our year. We have hand carved over eight tonnes of ice to spread the magic all across the city. It is the biggest event of its kind in the UK and the beautiful city of York gives us the perfect background to show off some of our best work. We have been working on the ice sculptures for the last three months and can’t wait to see everyone’s reactions on the 10th and 11th of December. See you there and don’t forget your mittens.”