After being cooped up for a week of frigid weather, Winnipeggers flocked to The Forks on the weekend, packing the market buildings and the skating trails.

The rink under The Forks canopy was also packed with skaters circling a DJ on Sunday. (Darren Bernhardt/CBC)

Claire MacKay, a spokeswoman with The Forks North Portage Partnership, said on days like Sunday — when temperatures hit –10 C rather than the –35 C of last week — there could have been 15,000 to 20,000 people at the popular gathering place.

"Yesterday was definitely a break in that weather and it really brought everybody back out to enjoy the [River Trail warm up huts] which just went down [onto the river]. It was a glorious weekend," she said.

On a nice day in the winter, the number of people at The Forks can rival the numbers seen in July and August, MacKay said.