When Stillwater officials decided to host the World Snow Sculpting Championship for the first time in 2022, they thought it would be a cool community event.
Instead, the event, sanctioned by Finland-based Association Internationale de Sculpture sur Neige et Glase, has turned into an international phenomenon with dozens of teams from around the world vying for a chance to spend 70 hours in downtown Stillwater carving massive snow sculptures out of 10-by-10-by-10-foot blocks.
Thirty-six teams from 21 countries applied to take part in this month’s competition, which will be held Jan. 15-19. Twelve teams, including squads from India, Taiwan, Peru, Malta and Mongolia, made the final cut.
“We used to talk about it being a community event, and it’s really not,” said Robin Anthony, executive director of the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a world-class event that just happens to be held in the backyard of Stillwater, Minnesota.”
A crew from “Good Morning America” will be on scene, broadcasting live near the Stillwater Lift Bridge during the noon show on Jan. 17, she said.
More than 50,000 visitors have attended the event each year, providing an economic boon in winter and boosting local businesses, according to Anthony.
“Several businesses have had record days of sales during this event,” Anthony said. “Stillwater is becoming the place to be from around the world for these artists. We provide them with such a classy hometown experience for this world-class event. They’re treated really well, thanks to the local businesses and all the volunteers.”
Team members stay at local hotels free of charge, and meals are provided, Anthony said. Each team member also receives a travel stipend to get to Minnesota: $700 for international competitors and $200 for domestic participants, she said.
Spectators can watch the entire process, visit with the teams and vote for their favorite; the team with the most votes will win “The People’s Choice Award.”
Trophies and cash are awarded to the top three winners: $1,500 for first place, $1,000 for second place and $500 each for third place, People’s Choice Award and Artists’ Choice Award, Anthony said. The Snow Sculpting world champion will be announced during the event’s closing ceremony at 6 p.m. Jan. 18.
This year’s official lineup:
The Fjordwitches from Quebec, Canada
Sculptora Borealis from Wisconsin
Jetset from Mexico
Team Great Britain/Wales and The West Country
The Eastwood from Denmark
Team Mela from Malta
Team Callisto from India
Team Falcon from Mongolia
Team Taiwan
Bocanegra Team from Spain
Team Funland from Finland
Team Kawsay Arte Peru
No snow? No problem, Anthony said. The snow used to create the 10-by-10-by-10-foot blocks of sculpting snow must be pristine, so a volunteer snowmaking crew from Afton Alps is creating a mountain of manmade snow in Lowell Park for the event.
Snow celebration breeds romance
From left, Joelle Gagnon, Marie-Claude-Paris-Tanguay and Marie Fanny-Fay Tremblay-Girard, from the Canadian team FjordWitches, work on their sea monster sculpture at Stillwater’s Lowell Park on Friday, Jan. 19, 2024. The FjordWitches will be back again this year. (John Autey / Pioneer Press)
The World Snow Sculpting Championship is the main event of the city’s World Snow Celebration, which is slated to run from Jan. 15-Jan. 25, Anthony said. Activities include a photo contest, a snow slide, an indoor market, a fat-tire bike ride, figure-skating performances, a “Stilly the Snowman” scavenger hunt, children’s activities and “the world’s coolest block party,” Anthony said.
The event is sponsored by the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Foundation, the city of Stillwater and HealthPartners.
Final note to the producers of Hallmark movies: Romance bloomed on the banks of the St. Croix River last year as a member of the Fjordwitches team (which won the 2024 contest) fell in love with a member of the Finland team, Anthony said. Both will be back this year, she said.
“You never know what’s going to happen in Stillwater,” she said. “It’s a city of romance and light.”
World Snow Sculpting Championship
When: Opening ceremony, 5-8 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 15; closing ceremony and awards, 6 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 18. Other events continue through Saturday, Jan. 25.
Where: Lowell Park in downtown Stillwater.
Cost: The event is free and open to the public.
Information: worldsnowcelebration.com
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