A London contractor is set to compete in this year’s Snowking Winter Festival in Yellowknife with a sculpture inspired by overflowing popcorn.
Soon, Graham Henning’s creation will be part of the festival’s month long exhibition on the frozen Great Slave Lake, where visitors from all over the world can explore a variety of snow art and the iconic snow castle.
But for the past month, the father of two been practicing on his front lawn in London’s Orchard Park neighbourhood.
“I’ve always had an interest in sculpture. I’ve always had an interest in building things with my hands,” said Henning, who attended in H.B. Beal’s Bealart program as a teenager, then went to Nova Scotia College of Art and Design University in Halifax.
Photo Credit/Evan Frederiksen XFM News
The popcorn sculpture, he explained, has been a concept he’s carried for years.
“When I’ve seen piles of snow building up, I’ve kind of thought they looked like overflowing containers of popcorn. I had always imagined building a sculpture at a movie theater outside Silver City or something where it looked like popcorn was overflowing. But I had an opportunity, so we proposed to do the popcorn kernel, and they got accepted. So I’ve been practicing trying to do the popcorn kernel.”
Henning said his family and neighbors have reacted with curiosity and pride.
“People in the neighborhood, I’ve heard them say crazy, describe me as crazy. And I’m sure my family kind of thinks that too, but I think they’re proud of it, and they’re intrigued by it.”
Photo Credit/Evan Frederiksen XFM News
Henning will travel to Yellowknife in early March and is very excited to experience a new environment.
“I’m expecting it to be cold, minus 20 to 30 average in March there, I think it’ll be fun. The northern lights will be illuminated in the sky at night, and I’m looking forward to traveling there, see some place I haven’t been before.”
The Snowking Winter Festival runs from March 1 to 28, 2026, showcasing Henning’s popcorn sculpture alongside a range of other snow creations.
