Rockford’s Sinnissippi Park is attracting teams of snow sculptors from across Illinois starting Wednesday.
They're taking part in the 32nd Annual Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition. The Rockford Park District used snowmaking machines to ensure an adequate supply for competitors. They will have until Saturday to build the best sculpture they can out of a 6- by 6- by 10-foot block of snow. Rockford Park District Spokeswoman Laura Gibbs-Green said teams’ tools are limited.
“No power tools are used, no prefabricated molds or anything like that," she said. "They learn their craft through practice, and every year they do something different. Every year they go bigger and better. More intricate, more detailed. That’s something really cool about this competition. For 32 years, it’s never been the same.”
Sixteen high school teams are taking part in the competition, along with eight state teams hoping to advance to the National Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, next year. Last year's state winner also will make a sculpture before moving on to this year's national competition.
Judging begins Saturday, and Gibbs advises spectators to come early, since warm weather means the sculptures might not last long.
You can find out more about the competition at its website.
