TRIAL RUN: Is Mumbai’s new 4,000sqft snow arena worth it?

There is a 4,000 sqft playground of snow in town (at Smaaash, Lower Parel), but don’t expect to be able to roll snowballs.

Winter is going. But a 4,000 sqft, snow playground is looking to keep things chilled .

It’s a place where kids can go crazy and adults are encouraged to behave like kids. After all, there is no age limit to enjoy a snow fight, right? Welcome to Snow Rush, the city’s very own winter wonderland.

Before stepping in, we are handed snow coats (hoods up at all times, please), gloves, socks and snow boots. To acclimatise, you make a pit-stop in a small waiting area, which is at zero degrees. Then you make your way to a play area, which, we thought, was relatively empty for a Friday evening. While groups of youngsters and men in their 30s soon trooped in, kids were curiously absent.

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The snow that covers the play area is granular and isn’t particularly ideal to roll into a snowball, let alone build a snowman and castles. This, however, didn’t stop people from having snow fights, a fact that proves that the novelty factor, for those who may never have experienced real snow, is high here.

For children, Snow Rush houses a playground-style merry-go-round, some slides, sledges and an igloo. There are two slides for grown-ups, which get our vote because going down slides never ceases to be fun and falling into a heap of snow is definitely an advantage. There is always a staff member present in the play area to ensure safety.

Going up a spiral staircase leads you to a spacious bar area. We sampled a few shots, which helped us regain the feel of our fingers and toes, which had long gone numb. Adept bartenders served us a variety of shots: Spicy Snow Flake, Grand Slalom, and Abominable Snowman. Cocktails are not stocked, we are told, as those would freeze far too quickly.

The music is soft and instrumental — saxophonist Kenny G’s tracks, for the most part. The lights at Snow Rush keep changing colours, from red to green to blue, giving it a vaguely discotheque-esque feel. There are also a couple of life-sized statues of penguins which made a trilling call, with their beaks opening and shutting occasionally.

If you think Snow Rush is trying too hard to create a winter wonderland, consider its rival — Snow World in Phoenix Marketcity, Kurla — which is way more cheesy and has a statue of snow dogs pulling a sled, and a

backdrop of people skiing among snow-capped mountains in its ski-boarding area.

Let it snow

Snow Rush is open to walk-ins. Price: Rs 300 onward (20 minutes; Monday to Friday), Rs 400 onward (20 minutes; weekends and public holidays)

Time: 12.30pm to 10pm (Monday to Friday), 11am to 10pm (weekends and public holidays)

Where: Smaaash, Kamala Mills Compound, Lower Parel