International Snow Sculpture Competition Breckenridge 2017

What do you get when you mix 400 tons of Colorado snow, power tools, and 16 sculpting teams from all around the world? The answer is one of the more beautiful and eye-capturing events Breckenridge has to offer. The 2017 International Snow Sculpture Competition is on it 27th year in Town of the Breckenridge, much to locals and visitor’s delight. The competition itself is a weeklong event where the best sculptors from Germany, India, China, Mexico, and more, come to compete and race against the clock to build their piece of art completely and entirely out of snow. Over 250 teams are invited to the event, however only 16 are selected to compete.

Each team is allowed 4 members, 5 days, and 65 hours to create their masterpiece. During the last evening of the contest teams work through the chilly night, into the early hours of Saturday morning, to put the finishing touches on their sculptures before judging begins at 10 am. Once the sculptures are complete it is hard to imagine that they started as a 12-foot high block of snow. While some teams create sculptures as a nod to their culture and heritage, others can be more abstract or even have a social significance. Located in the center of downtown Breckenridge the, completely free event turns the Riverwalk Center into a temporary outdoor sculpture park. During the evening the sculptures become even more stunning as colored spotlights light up each structure, turning the once white pieces of art into a breathtaking wonderland.

The week after the competition if formally known as Viewing Week, which continues through February 5th. The sculptures remain in place and are available for viewing during the day and night. Can you imagine the awe on your child’s face seeing such a massive snow creation that doesn’t have a carrot nose? Strolling through the lit sculptures after dark also makes for the perfect end to a romantic date night. No matter what your days in Breckenridge entail it is definitely worth the stop to check out these one of a kind pieces of art.

Quick Facts

• 2017 Teams: China, Finland, Germany (Theil), Great Britain (Annaly), Iceland, India, Italy, Mexico, Mongolia (Erdene), Mongolia (Tserendash), Sweden, Turkey, USA-Breckenridge, USA-Loveland, USA-Vermont, USA-Wisconsin (Tomczak)

• Where: Riverwalk Center 150 West Adams Ave.

• When: Competition Week January 24th 28th . Viewing Week through February 5th (weather permitting)

Check out the video below of last years International Snow Sculpting Competition: