Cripple Creek Ice Festival set to return after two-year hiatus

Jennifer Mulson, The Gazette (Colorado Springs, Colo.)
Updated ·1 min read

Dec. 9—After two years of cancellations, the Cripple Creek Ice Festival will once again take over the tiny mountain town.

Ice-carving teams and their sculptures, along with vendors, music and more, will populate Bennett Avenue Feb. 18-20, including Presidents Day, and 25-26.

The festival, one of the largest ice-carving events in the country, was canceled due to COVID-19 in 2021. This year, a pandemic-induced change in special event funding by Cripple Creek City Council shut down the party.

"The ice festival is made possible this year through sponsorships from the city, casinos and local business," said Cripple Creek Mayor Milford Ashworth. "It will be good to see everyone this February."

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Founded in 2007, the festival lures up to 30,000 visitors over two weekends to watch teams of ice carvers from around the country compete to transform 300-pound blocks of ice into works of art. It's a six-figure event, said Cripple Creek Special Projects Director Jeff Mosher, which includes shelling out for blocks of ice and carvers.

In 2020 the event morphed into a competition with deadlines, a $5,000 cash prize and a free-for-all when it comes to teams selecting their own themes for their artwork.

"The event draws visitors from across the country and even internationally," Mosher said. "It is a significant economic driver for our small businesses."