Did you know Illinois has a snow sculpting competition?
In 1985, two Rockford businessmen stumbled upon a snow sculpture that showed a winter carnival scene while snowmobiling through Wisconsin. After finding out who created the sculptures, the businessmen invited the artists to Rockford where they sculpted an American eagle, the Statue of Liberty and the Liberty Bell, with the help of Rockford Park District staff.
The following year, one of the businessmen found out about a group in Wisconsin that sanctioned national snow sculpting competitions. The following day, alongside a Rockford City Council member, he visited the group who then declared Rockford the host city for the Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition.
Since 1987, the competition has continued each year and now has both a state and high school division. Multiple awards are given in each division, but the winners of the state division will advance to the U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition in 2026 to represent Illinois.
Interested in viewing this year’s sculptures?
The 2025 competition will be held Jan. 22-25 at Sinnissippi Park, located at 1401 N. 2nd St. in Rockford. Featured sculptures include replicas of famous movie characters, animals, architecture and more!
To learn more about the competition, click here.
