Snowking XXII taking shape: Lisa Leblanc, Old Man Luedecke to play festival

The Snowking castle on Yellowknife Bay is taking shape, with a little more than two weeks left until the month-long winter festival opens next month.

The castle opens March 1 and runs until March 26, with concerts and events scheduled every day. CBC North will be there for March 25Family Day between 12:30 p.m. and 4 p.m.

• Yellowknife's Snowking prepares to launch his biggest castle yetin 2016
• Join CBC North at Snowking XXII

Some of the highlights of this year's lineup include local musicians, dancers and children's programming.

Montreal singer-songwriter Lisa Leblanc and Old Man Luedecke from Nova Scotia will be in Yellowknife performing on the snow stage as well.

"This is something that started as a very small thing, a place for kids to hang out in, and that's at the heart of what we do," explained Janna Graham, also known by her Snowking nickname "Snowstorm Sally."

"It's something in the community for us to enjoy winter, this is a winter city," she said. "There's no place like it."

Castle coming along

Though there is still work to be done on the castle, most of the its key features of the Great Hall are coming together. The snow stage is at the centre, with carvers working on cathedral-style windows and the VIP booth set into the wall.

"It's very organic, very grassroots, very do-it-yourself.That's what's at the heart of it," Graham said. "Itstarted small, but the community's grown up around it, because that's who it is for."

For the full lineup of performances and events during Snowking XXII, head to the festival's website.

In the meantime, scroll below to see photos of the Snowking castle as it nears the end of construction.