Winterlude to kick off with fireworks display and music

Display location:Ottawa
City:Ottawa
Country:Canada
Date:Feb. 5

Details: The National Capital Commission is kicking off Winterlude with 20 minutes worth of fireworks, along with musical performances and a light and video show to mark the opening night of the festival's 32nd season.

The show will take place at the Museum of Civilization on Feb. 5, kicking off three weeks of festivities.

While the festival will tie in the Winter Olympics, organizers will also use the first weekend to collect donations to help those affected by the earthquake in Haiti.

The NCC announced the festival's lineup on Tuesday. Activities will include skating on the Rideau Canal, an ice pond hockey tournament, snow sculpting at the Snowflake Kingdom and ice sculptures in the Crystal Gardens.

The Snowbowl venue, which had been used for concerts in the past, is not part of this year's lineup.

Winterlude is credited with bringing in about $82.5 million in economic spin-off for the national capital region, attracting an average of 650,000 visitors each year.

It's estimated one in three people who attend the festival are visitors from outside the region.