Cripple Creek kicks off the 2018 Ice Festival

The 2018 Cripple Creek Ice Festival kicked off Friday morning and this year’s theme is Renaissance on Ice.

Five sculpting teams shape an array of figures.

“The theme this year is Renaissance in Ice, so my team is doing a series of pieces starting with a massive viking ship,” said sculptor Brian McKinney from team ‘All Cool Ice’.

The make-shift winter wonderland has popped up in during a time where winter wonderlands are hard to come by in Colorado.

“This year has been perfect really, one of the best years in years. Sometimes if it’s too warm at lunch we will just take a longer lunch and come back. You wanna see your breath,” explains ice sculptor Thomas Burlow.

And as they chip away at the ice, the figure slowly starts to emerge.

“Its art for the moment, I get asked ‘why don’t you do wood or metals but this is the medium I really love,” said McKinney.

The festival runs through the 18th.