A nationally recognized ice sculpture event whose past themes were based on "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" and "A Charlie Brown Christmas" will mark its Arizona debut in 2026.
Ice!, the signature holiday experience at the Gaylord resorts in cities like Nashville and Orlando, is coming to JW Marriott Phoenix Desert Ridge Resort & Spa as part of the north Phoenix family resort's Christmas festivities for 2026.
The resort will mark the third year of its Christmas event Jingle at JW Desert Ridge, which features the resort decorated in Christmas lights and attractions like a skating rink and fire tables. The arrival of Ice! (promoted by the resort in all lower-case letters) in Arizona comes one year after the Gaylord resorts' owner, Ryman Hospitality,
bought JW Marriott Desert Ridge.
The Jingle event was introduced after the resort's previous owners finished an $80 million renovation that included revamping the pool area into the AquaRidge Waterpark and introducing the restaurants Tía Carmen and Kembara.
Ice! features elaborate themed sculptures and ice slides
Ice! started in 2001 at Gaylord Opryland in Nashville, inspired by the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival in China. It since expanded to Gaylord's other resorts, collectively among the nation's largest hotels that don't have casinos.
The 2026 season will include attractions at eight resorts, six Gaylord hotels and two JW Marriott hotels, said David Bracamonte, Ryman Hospitality's director of creative.
The 17,500-square-foot attraction includes ice sculptures based on a rotating theme, preserved in controlled temperatures at 9 degrees Fahrenheit. The JW Marriott Desert Ridge event will feature 10 scenes of ice sculptures carved from 2 million pounds of ice, plus two-story ice slides and a life-size Nativity scene.
A team of 40 artisans builds the ice sculpture scenes. Each resort where Ice! takes place has a different team of artisans, Bracamonte said.
It takes about 12,000 hours for artisans to complete the sculptures used in the attractions, which drew a total of 1.4 million visitors across the six Gaylord resorts in 2025, according to the website for Gaylord Palms in Orlando.
Ice! theme for inaugural Arizona event is...
JW Marriott Desert Ridge staff revealed the theme for the first Arizona season of Ice! with help from Santa Claus in an unveiling ceremony in the resort's lobby.
This year's theme is "Elf," based on the 2003 Christmas movie starring Will Ferrell as Buddy the Elf, a human raised by Santa as an elf, who travels from the North Pole to New York City to find his biological father.
"Elf" has been a rotating theme for Ice! since 2022 and was the theme of 2025's event at Gaylord Texan in Grapevine, Texas, located about five miles from Dallas Fort Worth International Airport.
What Bracamonte thinks stands out about "Elf" is how it presents opportunities for guests to become part of the scenes instead of just viewing them.
"They get to sit next to Buddy at the shoe shine. They get to go into the New York City streets. They get to go into that storefront with the revolving door and pose next to an ice Buddy. They get to discover a secret slide inside of the mail room, where Buddy is doing his dancing on top of the table," he said. "There's so many discoverable moments and tidbits like that in this particular show to seek out."
JW Marriott Desert Ridge's new owners are bringing Ice! to Arizona
Ice! is coming to JW Marriott Desert Ridge thanks to the resort's new owner, which also owns the Gaylord resorts.
Ryman Hospitality purchased JW Marriott Desert Ridge in 2025 for $865 million. At the time of the purchase, Ryman's president and CEO Mark Fioravanti hinted at the possibility of new guest experiences at the north Phoenix family resort, without naming specifics.
Bracamonte said that the biggest challenge with bringing the event to Arizona will be maintaining the sculptures at a constant 9-degree temperature.
Eight chiller structures will be installed in the special events tent, which will work to maintain the constant chilly temperatures in the space where the sculptures will be built and the event will take place, he said.
Resort staff hope that Ice! will become a holiday tradition at JW Marriott Desert Ridge.
"As soon as you walk in that door, you're hit with that 9-degree, super cold air. And you get to spend 30 to 45 minutes with your family making memories in this immersive by nature experience," Bracamonte said. "We're really hoping that it takes a strong foothold this year and becomes one of those pillars of the holiday season."
When does Ice at JW Marriott Desert Ridge open?
Ice! will open on Nov. 18 and run through Jan. 3, 2027.
Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Sunday through Thursday and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
How much does Ice! at JW Marriott Desert Ridge cost?
Ice! is $35 per person for the general public.
The resort is offering guest packages that include two to four free tickets to the event, which start at $589 per night.
Details: 5350 E. Marriott Drive, Phoenix. 480-293-5000, marriott.com.
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Michael Salerno is an award-winning journalist who’s covered travel and tourism since 2014. His work as The Arizona Republic’s consumer travel reporter aims to help readers navigate the stresses of traveling and get the best value for their money on their vacations. He can be reached at Michael.Salerno@usatodayco.com.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: Huge ice sculpture event coming to Phoenix resort for Christmas 2026
