More News

Though it's around 50 degrees outside, inside Gaylord National's ICE! at National Harbor exhibit it's only 9 degrees and visitors are surrounded by 2 million pounds of ice.

The 15,000-square-foot exhibit opened Nov. 19 and continues through Jan. 10. It features colored and clear ice carved into a walk-through attraction of 10 three-dimensional holiday scenes, including a nativity scene with a 25-foot-tall ice angel and a Christmas Castle with four ice slides standing more than two stories tall.

"It's something that people don't experience. It literally, and figuratively, takes your breath away, first of all because it's very cold — it's 9 degrees — but it is so astounding the art that they're able to carve completely out of ice," said Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center Public Relations Director Amie Gorrell.

The event kicked off with a fireworks celebration, musical performance, indoor snowfall and laser light show on Nov. 19.

Forty master ice carvers from Harbin, China, traveled to Gaylord National's ICE! exhibit and spent nearly a month creating the carvings. For 25 years, the city of Harbin has hosted its world-famous "Ice and Snow Festival," which is visited by approximately 800,000 visitors annually. There, more than 2,000 sculptors create thousands of ice structures, ice carvings and snow sculptures.

Gorrell said the three other Gaylord Properties in Kissimmee, Fla., Nashville, Tenn., and Dallas, Texas, which have had the ICE! exhibit brought in about 200,000 people to each event.

Gaylord National's ICE! visitors are encouraged to wear closed-toed shoes and warm clothing, though each will be given a parka to wear in the exhibit. The floor is covered in carpet and is wheelchair accessible.

There are also several other attractions at the second annual "Christmas on the Potomac" celebration. For those that want some fun on the ice before or after touring the exhibit, there is an outdoor ice skating rink open daily with varying hours, weather permitting. Everyone, from beginners to figure skaters, is welcome to rent skates on-site for $8 a pair or bring their own.

In honor of the Peeps & Company store opening at National Harbor, there will be a children's scavenger hunt for several three-foot-tall plush versions of the marshmallow candies hidden through Gaylord National's atrium. The scavenger hunt is ongoing through Jan. 3.

"We have partnered with Peeps & Company to hide peeps in different locations, and kids just think it's the most fun they've ever had," Gorrell said.

The biggest holiday decoration is the "Tree of Light," which is the centerpiece of the atrium. The tree is 60-feet tall and weighs about 7,000 pounds. The tree, which is lit every night at 6 p.m., is made of 110 individual hand-formed pieces of synthetic glass that look like green holly and red berries.

"It kinds of looks like candy glass or a stained glass window," Gorrell said. "It's just breathtaking."

There are also strands of 150-foot long lights hanging from the ceiling of the 20-story atrium that change colors periodically.

Some of the entertainment includes the twice-nightly indoor snowfall at 6:15 and 9:15 p.m. There's also a 75-voice live choir that sings classic Christmas music for 40 minutes every Friday, Saturday and Sunday night through Dec. 20. Local musicians and vocalists will also perform Monday through Thursday at 7 p.m. through Dec. 20. From Dec. 21 to Jan. 3, performances are planned at 7 p.m. Finally, the "Brightest Star" fountain show offers a narration of the Christmas story with choreographed water and special effects nightly at 8 and 9 p.m. on the atrium's lower level.

There are also several holiday dining experiences, including "Thanksgiving with Martha Washington," "Brunch with a Claus" and "Lunch with a Claus." The Thanksgiving dinner runs from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. today, and features traditional Thanksgiving dishes, regional favorites and live music. Martha Washington's rum punch, which comes from her original, hand-written recipe, will also be available. The brunch runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. through Dec. 27 on Saturdays and Sundays. The lunch runs from 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. on Friday, Dec. 21, 22, 23 and 24.

"The entire ‘Christmas on the Potomac' and the ICE! attraction is perfectly geared toward families and children," Gorrell said. "We want to become the place where families come together to create these amazing, magical Christmas memories."

IF YOU GO

ICE!

When: Open through Jan. 10

(daily hours vary)

Where: Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, 210 Waterfront St., Oxon Hill

Tickets: $24.99 to $19.99 for adults, $13 for children

Information: www.christmasonthepotomac.com

E-mail Jordan Attebury at jattebury@gazette.net.

ICE! By the Numbers

2 million: The total pounds of ice used to create ICE!

5,000: The number of ice blocks that are transformed into a winter wonderland.

Nearly 400 pounds: The total weight of each block of ice, before it is hand-carved.

11: The number of different colors of ice used in the attraction.

1,500+: The number of specially designed light tubes that are frozen within the ice, illuminating the ice from the inside.

9 degrees: The average temperature inside the attraction.

15,000: Total square footage of the "cold room" structure specially built for the attraction.

40: The number of artisans that traveled from Harbin, China, to carve the attraction.

40: The number of days it takes to carve the attraction.

10: The number of hand-carved wintertime scenes.

4: The number of ICE! slides inside this interactive attraction.

2 stories: The height of the tallest ICE! slides.