YORK city centre is set to be transformed when the biggest outdoor Ice Trail in the UK returns this weekend.

The free trail on Saturday and Sunday, organised by Make It York and sponsored by The York BID, will feature 40 stunning ice sculptures.

‘Fantastical fiction and fairy tales’ is the theme of this year’s event, with sculptures ranging from iconic cartoon and film characters to mythical creatures and fairy tale favourites.

Live ice carving will be taking place on St Sampson’s Square from 12pm to 3pm on both days, with the chance to see Glacial Art work their magic as they craft a sculpture from scratch. An interactive carving wall will also be on Parliament Street from 12pm to 5pm for adults and children to try their hand at ice sculpting.

Other highlights include the National Railway Museum’s Rocket Train – the largest and most intricate sculpture on the trail - which will be located outside York Minster and the series of Star Wars inspired sculptures sponsored by The York BID. Many sculptures have also been designed to provide the perfect photo opportunity. Visitors are encouraged to share their photos across social media using #YorkIceTrail20.

For the two days Middletons Hotel’s historic grounds will transform into a world of ‘Witchcraft and Wizardry’, with a range of activities themed around the nation’s favourite wizard and his friends. With three magical ice sculptures for visitors to tick off their lists, Middletons will also be offering the chance to meet owls and win amazing prizes, as well as warm up with hot chocolate and hearty food at ‘The Leaky Teepee’. The Thwaites Shire Horses will also be making an appearance in all their finery.

Paul Whiting, head of marketing and communications at Visit York, said: “We are very excited about this year’s York Ice Trail which is the biggest event of its kind in the UK. When we moved the trail from December to February last year it was an incredible success and we wanted to build on that by increasing it to a two day event this year and encourage visitors to stay longer and explore the city more. The theme this year has given scope for some truly stunning designs and we are expecting to draw thousands of visitors to the event, from both within the city and beyond. We are looking forward to welcoming visitors to explore this Only In York experience and unveiling all of this year’s designs - though we can say that our sculpture proves that magic mirrors are not just for wicked queens!“

Andrew Lowson, executive director, The York BID, added: “We’re delighted to support the York Ice Trail again this year. It’s an event that drives footfall all over the city and is always a popular event at a traditionally quiet time of year.”

Mat Foster, creative director, Glacial Art, said: “It will have taken our four man team almost six months to prepare for this year’s York Ice trail. It’s a huge amount of work for us and we have been carving sculptures in our freezers since late August. We cannot wait to finally get them all set up and dotted around York on February 1 and 2. It is going to be fantastic and without doubt our favourite event of the year. What a privilege it is to have the entire city of York as a gallery for our frozen works of art. We promise it will be our finest work to date and you won’t want to miss it. We look forward to seeing you all there!”

York Ice Trail maps are available for free from the Visitor Information Centre (1 Museum Street) or visit: https://www.visityork.org/whats-on/ice-trail for more information. Follow #YorkIceTrail20 on social media for inspiration and share your ice sculpture pictures.