Changes Announced for Town’s Mega Christmas Festivities
Rick Langenberg
Despite recently striking an economic buzzsaw when it comes to winter tourism, Cripple Creek leaders remain hopeful about the forthcoming season.
And with a few adjustments, officials believe the upcoming Christmas festival in November and December and the Ice Fest in late winter could add extra momentum to help offset the temporary loss of a bonanza attraction the town has benefited from since 2023.
The highly popular Ice Castles attraction opted not to come back for the fourth consecutive season, mainly due to financial reasons. The timing of the announcement was somewhat surprising, as attraction operators appeared geared up for another season in Cripple Creek. “It really came down to the weather,” admitted Cripple Creek Mayor Annie Durham, in an interview last week.
The mayor noted that the 2025 season was devastating for the attraction, with parts of Colorado, including the Pikes Peak region, experiencing a record-warm winter. She noted that the super dry winter forced Ice Castles to delay their opening in 2025 by several weeks and then close an extra week prior to their scheduled departure date. It marked a huge difference from the first season that Ice Castles operated in the Creek, as company officials were ecstatic about the area’s frigid winter temperatures, allowing it stay open longer than its other sites across the country.
The mayor is optimistic that the city can get Ice Castles to return, once the area receives a more normal dose of winter weather. “I sure hope it snows a lot this season,” quipped the mayor, who hopes the preliminary reports of an El Nina invasion are true.
Last winter was an oddity for a state that does much to promote winter activities like skiing, which also got hit with a huge dip in customers during the 2025/2026 season.
In the meantime, the city will make a few changes and additions to enhance its holiday season. For the first time in recent memory, the town will hold its annual Christmas parade on a Saturday evening, similar to the format used in Woodland Park and Colorado Springs. In addition, a Christmas tree lighting event will occur on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. And on New Year’s Eve, the town will feature a special fireworks show, slated to start at 7 p.m.
These changes could open the door for additional visitors and a more festive environment, especially for the town’s Winter Wonderland and Parade of Lights events and New Year’s Eve festivities.
And when it comes to the town’s Ice Fest event in February, local officials are promising a “bigger and better than ever” event. This annual event, often voted as the region’s best festival overall, will run from Feb. 12-20.
Still, the loss of the Ice Castles will hurt, but business owners concede that last winter’s disappointing numbers already had an impact on local shops and restaurants.
In reality, the departure is not surprising. Ice Castles often change the communities where it stages its signature winter attraction. No Colorado locations are listed for the 2026–2027 season, and company officials indicated they may operate fewer sites this winter.
“We have a very amicable relationship,” said Durham, who said the company officials enjoyed their time in Cripple Creek, and often participated in educational programs in the RE-1 Cripple Creek/Victor District to explain how their attraction works in more detail. Durham works with the CC/V School District.
Another big reason for the departure also hinged on the touchy subject of the ongoing drought, a reality that is becoming too real for a growing number of special districts in Teller County. As noted in a city press release, “While Cripple Creek has an ample supply of water to host the event, there are areas within Teller County that are facing significant water issues, which was also a concern for (the Cripple Creek City) Council and Ice Castles while discussing the event for this season.”
The Cripple Creek mayor, who participated in an earlier region-wide discussion on the area’s water situation, agreed. “That was a real eye-opener for me,” said Durham, who learned first-hand the struggles being encountered by residents and property owners in many rural sections of Teller. At the time, the county commissioners were seeking some emergency help from the state to deal with this growing crisis, and were pleading for help from local municipalities, such as Cripple Creek.
As a result, city leaders believed this season could be an ideal time to put the pause button on Ice Castles.
The mayor and other city leaders are still optimistic about the upcoming season. “We had a very robust events’ season (in 2026) and we expect that to continue,” said the mayor.
Ice Castle officials also expressed hope that they could return in the future. “We have loved our working relationship with the city and with the community. Thank you for being great partners over the past few years!”, stated Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird, in an official announcement.
