BLAST THAT CHRISTMAS MUSIC!
Hill Country resort carves out plans for 2 million pounds of ice 8 months early
Firstly, we are well aware that the manic charge of sugar plum fairies happens earlier and earlier every year. Locals have barely gone through their Easter candy, and now the faint clop of reindeer hooves is already growing into a clamor. Like it or not, the Christmas season has already begun — or at least the fevered work of bringing Yuletide magic is ramping up into full gear.
On April 4, the JW Marriott San Antonio Hill Country Resort and Spa announced its most ambitious holiday attraction yet: the Alamo City debut of ICE!, an awe-inspiring installation made entirely of frozen water.
Let's just say it was a slippery slope from last year's buzzy festivities, which entailed covering a hillside in real snow for tubing.
This year, artisans from Harbin, China, will sculpt over two million pounds of ice into whimsical scenes and characters from Dr. Seuss’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The mammoth undertaking will include walk-through scenes, two-story ice slides, and glittering passageways.
Guests will cozy up in blue parkas while strolling through ten themed rooms filled with oversized depictions of the Grinch, Max, Cindy-Lou Who, and other esteemed citizens of Whoville. The activation also includes a life-size nativity scene, though there’s no word on whether it will be similarly Who-oriented.
“We are thrilled to introduce the legendary ICE! experience as the centerpiece of our Hill Country Christmas celebration at JW Marriott San Antonio this year,” said General Manager Doug Gennardo in a release. “It’s a great honor to share a 20-plus-year Christmas tradition and memorable holiday experiences with our resort guests and the city of San Antonio.”
Holiday revelers can now make advance online reservations for accommodation packages using booking code 1GC and add a round of golf with booking code ZJ4. Individual tickets to the spectacular will not be available until summer. By then, surely, locals will be daydreaming about winter.