SNOW – of the artificial kind – will fall in the parliamentary triangle from this afternoon (June 30) with the arrival of a big, new, free Christmas-in-July festival. 

The brainchild of Frenchman Vincent Hernandez, the festival was originally conceived for the Rocks in Sydney where he’d been conducting Bastille Day events .

Now, with a sophisticated Canberra population in mind, he’s taken over the lawns in front of Old Parliament House for an intensive four-day wintertime feast.

The snow machines will run day and night and the precinct is already packed with tiny imported chalets offering food and drink.

On offer are many French treats created by top Canberra restaurants, not least boeuf bourguignon, mulled and non-mulled French wines, duck burgers (Hernandez thinks  that’s an Australian invention) and in a  French winter tradition, Raclette cheese melted and dropped on hot potatoes, ham, salami and pickles.

There are various seating areas set around fire pits, where you can listen to local bands, but the highlights are an avenue of  fresh-smelling pine trees – that’s where the snow machines will be hard at work – and a dozen illuminated “igloos” set up for fine dining.

There’s no entry fee to enter the precinct, but you’ll have to pay to get into the igloos.

Christmas in July Festival, Parkes Place Lawns, until Sunday, July 3.

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