New pride-themed winter festival coming to Thunder Bay

The Rainbow Collective is launching the Frost Festival, bringing a week of winter programming to Thunder Bay.

Tagged “where pride meets the Northern Lights,” the festival is meant to serve as winter’s complement to summer’s annual pride parade.

“The winter is long, it’s dark and dreary. So we’re trying to bring something that brings a little life to Thunder Bay,” says festival event chair Jason Veltri. “It brings a little colour, and a little fun and love when we need it most in the world.”

Veltri says Thunder Bay’s gender and sexually diverse (GSD) communities have been asking for winter activities to hold the community over through the long wait to each summer’s pride month.

The Frost Festival will run from February 22 to March 1, 2026, involving a packed week of events open to the public, most of which will be free.

“It’s really about creating a lower barrier of access to events,” Veltri explains.

Those events will include sleigh rides at Gammondale Farm, a queer coffee and open mic, a family fun skate, and more, with the programming centred on themes of love, belonging, and visibility.

Veltri is most excited about the festival’s signature event, the Glitter and Ice Ball.

“It’s really where people can dress up however they want. They can express themselves in a safe, and warm, and welcoming environment, and dance the night away with incredible drag,” he says.

The Glitter and Ice Ball is a ticketed event, featuring KAOS of Canada’s Drag Race.

“This is just another way to celebrate our uniqueness, celebrate our community, and really shine a light that when we come together, good things happen,” Veltri adds.