This year’s Cripple Creek Ice Festival has an added and equally cold — make that cool — dimension: the Colorado Ice Castles. From Feb. 17 to 25, the usual larger-than-life ice sculptures will line parts of Bennett Avenue, and the Colorado Ice Castles will be open in Cripple Creek for the duration of the festival.
“We are very excited about the return of the Ice Festival this year. It is one of the most attended events in Cripple Creek and it greatly benefits our community,” said Cripple Creek Mayor Annie Durham in a press release. “We are also looking forward to Ice Castles participating in the Ice Carving event. It is going to be a great Ice Festival this year!”
Also new to the scene will be an ice slide on Bennett Avenue, where kids can enjoy some frigid fun. Colorado Ice Castles will also have one of its ice carvers join the other ice carvers to create interactive ice exhibits that people can sit, climb on and pose with. There will also be food vendors and retail vendors along Bennet Avenue on both event weekends, including President’s Day, Monday, Feb. 19. Adult beverages will be available for purchase both weekends of the festival.
Along with creativity, there is also competition at the heart of the Cripple Creek Ice Festival, and organizers have brought back Battle of the Blade carver vs carver competitions. These head-to-head showdowns feature two carvers competing live for a cash prize. The chosen carvers are given a theme and 30 minutes to bring it to life in an ice carving in front of an audience. The winner gets a cash prize after all the sculptures are assessed by secret judges. Battle of the Blade competitions will be held at 12, 1:30 and 3 p.m. on both festival Saturdays, Feb. 17 and 24.
All of the main carvings on Bennett Avenue are part of an interactive competition as well. Event attendees vote on their favorite sculptures using a QR code throughout the whole festival. When the votes are tallied on the final day, the winning team gets a $5,000 cash prize. The winner of the overall sculpture competition will be announced on Sunday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.
This year marks the 21st year of Cripple Creek Ice Festival. The festivities began in 2000 but had a three-year hiatus during the COVID-19 pandemic before returning in 2023. The festival has become a popular annual event for locals and visitors. If you plan on attending this year, note that the festival will be closed to the public on Tuesday, Feb. 20 for an ice delivery.
Find Ice Festival details at visitcripplecreek.com and tickets and info for the Colorado Ice Castles at at icecastles.com/colorado.
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