Keeping the ice from flowing in Cripple Creek

It’s a cool event, literally.

In it’s ninth year, the Cripple Creek Ice Festival continues to draw crowds.

The event is not just a treat for the eyes, it’s filling registers in Teller County.

It’s a rare – and dramatic – form – of art.

Ice sculptors come from around the nation armed with chainsaws and hand tools for the ice festival.

For Jeff Kaiser, it’s a chance to showcase his work to a big crowd.

“This is the biggest (event) – as far as festivals go,” he said.

It brought the Wolf family here from California.

Jessica Wolf said, “I think it’s a great idea, they should do it again.”

It’s a boost to the economy at a time when tourism numbers are typically low.

Debbie Miller, the president of the Greater Woodland Park Chamber of Commerce Visitor Center said, “It’ll bring people here that couldn’t find rooms in Cripple Creek, they’ll stay here in Woodland Park as well.”

The only problem: It can’t last.

The relatively warm weather that we’ve seen this weekend has been great for attendance at the Ice Festival, lots of people are making their way to the streets of the city.

But it’s a double-edged sword for the sculptors themselves. The question is how do you keep the sculptures from melting when the temperatures push 50 degrees?

Kaiser knows how he’ll do it. “Over there underneath the tarps we have new pieces, we’ll put the replacement pieces on this week,” he said.

And in the meantime, visitors like the Wolfs will take advantage of their favorite parts of the festival.

“Probably the slide, because you get to participate in that,” said Connor Wolf.

The best part? You get one more weekend to take in the sculptures, the festival runs through next weekend.