Wandering through Fremantle Esplanade this July, you could be forgiven for thinking that you'd stumbled across a European city in the midst of a cold snap.

It won't just be the 600sqm ice skating rink, the snow slide and the miniature ski lodges but also the WA debut of a high-tech Italian snow machine that is tipped to be the biggest drawcard for the Winter Garden. The Event Agency, organisers of Perth's sell-out skating rink last year, imported the snow machine for the festival's return to Fremantle from July 1.

Managing director Nikki Graski said the machine would pump out 30 tonnes of snow over the 26-day festival for which organisers hope attendances will double to 60,000 compared with the last Fremantle event in 2012.

"Last year in Perth, when we were scraping the snow from the ice rink, kids were picking it up from the sides and throwing it," Ms Graski said. "I think it's just that touch and feel experience they're wanting. There will be snow falling while they're skating."

Fremantle mayor Brad Pettitt said the likely tourism boost would be welcome during a winter lull.