Gallery: The 2018 Winter Carnival Ice Palace was officially lit Thursday evening in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul.
Gallery: Hailey Miller, 2, who lives in New York City and was visiting family in town, tried to get a taste of the ice by sticking her tongue to the ice palace at the lighting.
Gallery: Ava Winslow, of St. Paul, was in awe as Debby Snyder ignited the burner of a hot air balloon that was part of the festivities at the lighting of the 2018 Winter Carnival Ice Palace in Rice Park on Thursday, January 25, 2018 in St. Paul, Minn.
Gallery: The 2018 Winter Carnival Ice Palace was officially lit Thursday evening. The 70 foot tall palace is the first to grace St. Paul's celebration of winter since 2004. The palace is made up of 4,000 blocks of ice, weighing nearly 4 million pounds.
Gallery: The crowd got an up close look at the ice palace after at the lighting ceremony.
Gallery: Hailey Miller, 2, who lives in New York City and was visiting family in town, ran her hand along the ice of the side of the ice palace at the lighting of the 2018 Winter Carnival Ice Palace in Rice Park on Thursday.
Gallery: A woman took a picture of the fireworks at the lighting of the 2018 Winter Carnival Ice Palace in Rice Park on Thursday, January 25, 2018 in St. Paul, Minn.
Gallery: The 2018 Winter Carnival Ice Palace was officially lit Thursday evening in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul. The 70 foot tall palace is the first to grace St. Paul's celebration of winter since 2004.
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