Bringing life to snow and ice, every January the town of Breckenridge hosts the International Snow Sculpture Championships. The competition consists of multiple teams from around the world who battle it out for the top snow sculpture in town.
The event is FREE and always has been open to the general public. Taking place from Monday through Wednesday, January 19th to January 28th, 2026, visitors will find the sculptures at 150 West Adams Avenue in the area around the Riverwalk Center.
To compete, sculptors must hand-carve 20-ton blocks of snow into enormous, detailed works of art. But the real challenge is that the sculptors are only allowed to use hand tools to create their masterpieces; no power tools are allowed! Slowly chipping away over five days, teams reveal their works of art in hopes of being crowned snow sculpture champions.
One of the best times to view the sculptures is at night when they are lit up in a sort of multi-technicolor art display. The sculptures do not hang around after the event ends. They are promptly removed when the event site closes on the last day.
Parking is available along Airport Road with free town shuttles running every 15 minutes via the Gray Route.
Need a place to stay? Check out some of the best hotels in Breckenridge.
Details
Where: Riverwalk Center, Downtown Breckenridge, CO 80424
Dates: Monday-Wednesday, January 20-29, 2025
Cost: Admission is free
Website: gobreck.com/event/international-snow-sculpture-championships