THE GUARDIAN’S FROSTY NIGHT TONIGHT

featuring the LOVE JUNKIES.

After a few days of mild winter weather, things at the Jack Frost Winterfest are about to get downright frosty in Charlottetown tonight.

The 13th annual family event kicked off Friday night at three venues – Eastlink Centre, Murphy Centre and the Outdoor Snow Kingdom at the Charlottetown Event Grounds.

But, while tickets are required for the official Jack Frost venues, The Guardian’s Frosty Night on Victoria Row is free for everyone.

“The big question everyone has is what is the optimum viewing area for the fireworks, which is obviously Victoria Row and Grafton Street,’’ Tracey Singleton

Frosty Night will feature a licensed area for those 19 years of age and over as well as a family zone. The licensed area will be open 6-9:30 p.m. There will also be two buskers and some ice carvings.

The Love Junkies will be performing a variety of sets throughout the night on a stage that splits between the licensed area and the family zone.

The main attraction is likely to be the five-minute fireworks display that will be shot off the roof of the Confederation Centre of the Arts that Jack Frost event producer Tracey Singleton promises will be “pretty spectacular’’.

The Love Junkies will perform a final set once the fireworks have finished.

“The big question everyone has is what is the optimum viewing area for the fireworks, which is obviously Victoria Row and Grafton Street,’’ Singleton said.

Tim Hortons will also be on site providing coffee by donation to give people an opportunity to warm up, while Mavors

will be serving up a menu that includes sausages, hot dogs, veggie dogs, beer, shots, wine, specialty coffees and specialty hot chocolate.

There will be a shuttle service to and from the site, but it will be restricted to Jack Frost ticketholders, offering transportation to and from the hotels

and venues.

“If people are at the snow kingdom and want to move down there, they can, but for Islanders who are coming in specifically for the fireworks it’s probably best for them to use the parkade because you have to be on the Jack Frost circuit to use our shuttle service,’’ Singleton said.

Singleton said events like The Guardian’s complimentary Frosty Night, as well as the pancake breakfast today, 8-10 a.m., at the Confederation Court Mall are all about expanding the festival’s reach.

“I think this year our biggest focus was really around being involved in the community as much as we could.’’

GUARDIAN PHOTO/BRIAN MCINNIS The Guardian’s Teresa Wright, left, and Wayne Thibodeau, who are hosting The Guardian’s Frosty Night, talk with Kelly Murphy, events co-ordinator with the Jack Frost Festival, during a video shoot on Victoria Row in Charlottetown this week. Looking on...