Stillwater's World Snow Sculpting Competition returns for 2024
STILLWATER, Minn. (FOX 9) - The World Snow Sculpting Championship kicks off Wednesday in downtown Stillwater.
With sculpting beginning Wednesday and wrapping up at 2 p.m. on Saturday, Jan. 20, there will be plenty of time to head to the riverside town for event festivities.
The event is sanctioned by the Association Internationale de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace based in Finland and will feature 12 teams from eight different countries.
RELATED: Snow piles up in Stillwater ahead of sculpting championship
The championship features teams from around the world, including Turkey, Ecuador, Finland, and Wales, trying to get the highest score possible on their 10-foot by 10-foot by 10-foot snow sculpture.
This week, crews from Afton Alps brought much-needed snow to the park hosting the championship. Volunteers loaded snow into cubes and created blocks that will soon be sculpted into world-class masterpieces by artists from across the globe.
The event is expected to draw 50,000 people or more to Stillwater's quaint downtown district. The festivities will take place in Stillwater's Lowell Park and will feature heated concession and hospitality tents from Friday through Saturday. A free shuttle service at Stillwater Motors will also be offered daily from Jan. 17-21 for guests to park and ride to downtown Stillwater.
RELATED: Minnesota team finishes 1st in World Snow Sculpting Championship
Sculptures will be available for viewing after the event as long as the weather permits.
Minnesota team finishes 1st in World Snow Sculpting Championship
Minnesota’s own House of Thune snow sculpting team is feeling on top of the world this weekend, after taking first place at the second annual World Snow Sculpting Championship in Stillwater. "It felt pretty surreal being up there on the stage," snow sculptor Kelly Thune told FOX 9 on Sunday. "There were so many pieces this year that I thought deserved to win it, that I didn’t expect it."