Stillwater to host first World Snow Sculpting Championship
Stillwater is set to host the inaugural World Snow Sculpting Championship next month.
The event is scheduled for Jan. 18-23, 2022, in Lowell Park on the shore of the St. Croix River, with teams from around the world set to compete to build the most impressive snow sculptures.
Spectators can watch as 12 snow sculpting teams construct their creations during the three-day competition, which begins Jan. 19. The winner will take home prize money and the title of world champion, while spectators will get the chance to vote for their favorite — the team with the most votes will be awarded the people's choice award.
While the competition is just three days, there will be five days of activities in Stillwater for the inaugural event, including snowmaking, social events, family friendly activities, ceremonies and more.
The event is weather-dependent, though — so cross your fingers for a cold and snowy January. The event's website and social media channels will post updates as the competition gets closer.
The City of Stillwater has partnered with the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce to host the event, which is sanctioned by the Association Internationale de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace (the International Association of Snow and Ice Sculpture) based in Finland, which has a mission of promoting activities and developing the culture around snow and ice sculpting.
“I’m convinced that the World Snow Sculpting Championship in Stillwater will be a huge success. I warmly welcome this new event into the international network — it will greatly benefit our artist community,” Juhani Lillberg, the president of the International Association of Snow and Ice Sculpture, said in a statement.
While there will be a dozen teams competing in the inaugural event, organizers have a goal of including more teams in future years, with only one team per country competing, a news release said.
