Ice skating on the water’s edge surrounded by light installations and roving entertainment is just part of what people can expect at the six-day Kiama Winter Festival over the July school holidays.

With a huge turnout at last year's Ignite Festival, the Kiama Winter Festival is returning with the authentic ice rink at its centre.

“The feedback from Ignite was super good in terms of the people that went along, the buzz that it created in town and the filling up of our hotels outside of our normal summer season,” Kiama Council Tourism and Events Manager Sally Bursell says.

“It ticked all of our boxes, so we really wanted to do it again.”

This year, the event will be showcasing local flavour with ‘Eat Like a Local’ tents set up, which will rotate local food and beverage businesses.

“We have found in the past that when we’ve had food trucks come along to our events, it feels like we’re taking away from our local businesses, so we just wanted to make it as easy as possible for them to be involved,” Sally says.

Penguin friends will be there to help those who are uneasy on the ice!

Igloos will be set up by the water for people to shelter from the cold and enjoy their food. 

For a taste of Aboriginal history, a ‘Taste the Dharawal’ tent will hold bush tucker and artifact talks with a live mural painting with Uncle Richard Campbell to kickstart the festival.

A new element this year will be the themed nights.

“Despite not having the $180,000 State Government funding this year, we were looking at how we could still make the event exciting,” Sally says.

Each night will have a distinct theme, like Freaky Friday, Superhero Saturday and Retro Sunday.

Music, food trucks and performances by Circus Wow will all suit the theme, with people encouraged to get dressed up.

There will also be a light show by RnR Production with an illuminated sculpture brought down from Vivid.

And it wouldn’t be a festival without a bar; Henry Clive Caravan Bar will operate a bar featuring ‘warm drinks’ as well as the normal wines and beers.

Kiama Winter Festival have also teamed up with Stoic Brewing and have created their own Kiama Winter Brew pale ale.

An event fit for the whole family

It will all be happening on Old School Flat from 7 July. There has been a recent spike in tickets sales, so Sally says to get your tickets now for the ice-skating rink.

“I would like everyone to invite their friends and family to Kiama for the school holidays so they can experience it because I don’t think we will have another opportunity to have an ice-skating rink right on the water again.

“This is your opportunity,” Sally says, who is looking forward to getting people out in winter past 6pm.

See here for the full event program and tickets.