Photos By Cindy Valade
The Cripple Creek Ice Festival 2025 kicked off last week with big crowds and ideal weekend weather for throngs of visitors, families and casino guests.
The popular festival, rated as one of the best events in the gaming community, based on most polls, continues this week through February 23 from 10 a.m. to 5 pm daily with fun happenings for the whole family. Ice carvers from around the country have already arrived to start building amazing ice art as they compete for votes from the attendees for their favorite sculptures. The competition is quite intense this year, and the second week of the festival is often the best time to view their works.
Voters can scan QR codes at each carving team location to cast tallies for their favorite sculpture as the carvers vie for a $5,000 cash prize. The carving site this year has expanded to include the 200 and 400 blocks of Bennett Ave to enable visitors to check out their efforts before voting. The winner of the overall sculpture competition will be announced this Sunday (February 23) at 1 p.m.
This Saturday, (February 22) at noon, 1:30 pm and 3 pm carvers will compete in the Battle of the Blade as two carvers go head-to-head to complete a carving within 30 minutes. Judges assess the entries at the end of each round, and a cash prize is awarded to the overall winner. This competition takes place in the 300 block of Bennett Ave. under the big tent.
More than 30 food and retail vendors will be set up for the final weekend in the 300 and 400 blocks of Bennett Ave. They offer a wide variety of food choices and retail items, running the gamut from BBQ to corn dogs, to crochet hats and unique jewelry items. Adult beverages will be available again this weekend from the Beer Trailer at 3rd and Bennett Ave. offering a convenient area to enjoy the Fest while viewing the sculptures and shopping and sampling a beverage of choice.
The Ice Castles carver will have an interactive sculpture this year that visitors can pose with for photos in the 400 block of Bennett Ave. Another big attraction is the Ice Slide for kids to enjoy in the 200 block of Bennett Ave.
In addition, the Ice Castles attraction is open every day this week, except Tuesday (February 18) when Bennett Ave. is closed to pedestrian traffic as ice is unloaded and set for the carvers. No pedestrian traffic is allowed on the 200 and 400 block this day for safety purposes until the ice has been delivered to the carving sites. Visit www.icecastles.com/cripple-
Event organizers and city officials are quite optimistic about the response to this year’s festival.
“This event is amazing this year,” stated Tracie Bennitt, marketing and special events director for the city of Cripple Creek. Bennitt is quite familiar with the festival. “I organized the first Ice Fest in 2000 and now 25 years later have returned to oversee the event. It’s grown a lot in that time frame with amazing ice artists participating this year to wow the crowds,” she added.
Major sponsors of the event this year include Chamonix Casino, Bronco Billy’s Casino, Century Casino, McGill’s Casino, Midnight Rose Casino, Brass Ass Casino, Colorado Grande Casino, Johnny Nolon’s Casino, Double Eagle Casino, Golden Nugget Casino and Teller Wifi. For more information visit www.visitcripplecreek.com.
