Lincoln Ice Adventure: a free winter trail

Lincoln's free winter event is back for another year, and it's one of the easier things to plan around a weekend. The Lincoln Ice Adventure runs on Saturday 5 and Sunday 6 December, from 11am to 5pm each day, and entry is free for all ages. It's put on by the City of Lincoln Council's Events in Lincoln team, and the whole thing is built around a trail of hand-carved ice sculptures.

There are 14 unique sculptures in total, spread across the city from the lower High Street up to the Bailgate. The clever part is that they're all replaced on Sunday morning with fresh, identical versions, so you get the same set of carvings whether you go on the Saturday or the Sunday. This year's theme follows the mischievous Lincoln Imp, the stone carving inside the cathedral that's become the city's symbol and the mascot of Lincoln City Football Club.

If you want to see something being made rather than just finished, head to St Paul in the Bail. At noon, there's the unveiling of a sculpture based on a drawing by William Zeng, which stays on the trail for the rest of the day, and from 12.30 to 1.30 on both days, Ice Box's carvers put on a live demonstration. The evening of the Saturday brings something new for 2026: a lantern parade through the Cathedral Quarter, with lanterns made by a local school working with Lumo Workshop.

For families, there's a design competition running across both days. Children can draw their ideas for next year's Ice Adventure on a template or plain paper and post them into the ice sculpture post box on High Bridge, with waterproof envelopes handed out by stewards. The winning design from last year's competition is also one of the sculptures to find on the trail.

Beyond the ice, the event keeps the usual festive extras going. There's a Makers' Market and seasonal treats, including the F.F.N. Lincoln Section Glühwein for anyone wanting a mulled wine while they wander. It's worth knowing that the event has grown steadily since it started as the Lincoln Ice Trail back in 2023, which opened with 20 sculptures and live carving by the cathedral. The 2024 and 2025 editions kept the format going, so it's become a bit of a fixture on the city's December calendar.

If you're planning your route, it's worth grabbing the free guide first, which tells you where each sculpture is hidden. With the trail running from the lower High Street up to the Bailgate, it pulls you right past the cathedral, which is the obvious place to end. The cathedral's been standing on the hill for more than 950 years, was once the tallest building in the world, and holds one of the four surviving copies of the Magna Carta, so it makes a fitting backdrop for a winter walk. Whether you're in it for the sculptures, the carving, or just a free afternoon out with the kids, it's a low-effort way to fill a couple of hours in early December.