Bring the family out to see 15 professional artists in a free snow sculpting competition. The free SNOW DAYS CHICAGO returns from 4 to 8 p.m. on Jan. 29 and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Jan. 30-31 in Grant Park (Balbo & Michigan), Chicago. Professional snow sculptors work in teams to create 15 unique sculptures crafted out of man-made snow. Attendees to the festival vote on the best sculpture created by teams of artists from the Chicago area as well as aroudn the US. Sculpting from blocks of snow on site will began the day before the festival opened to the public and attendees had the chance to vote on the works of art and snow. Free admission. Information: 312-744-3315 or www.snowdayschicago.us.
Snow Days Chicago is produced in conjunction with Snow Visions, Inc. which has produced the event in various Chicago suburbs over the last four years.
Snow Days Chicago is presented by the City of Chicago and The Mayor’s Office of Special Events and sponsored in part by Orange Crush, The Essex Inn, T-Mobile, 104.3 Jack-FM, WBBM Newsradio 780, and Radio Disney, in association with the Chicago Park District and the Chicago Public Schools.
Free Snow Sculpting Competition
HISTORY: The City of Chicago and the Mayor’s Office of Special Events hosted the Inaugural Snow Days Chicago, a snow sculpting competition and festival, in collaboration with Snow Visions, Inc., February 12-February 16, 2009 in the Spirit of Music Garden located at Balbo and Michigan.
Professional snow sculptors worked in teams to create 15 unique sculptures crafted out of man-made snow. Attendees to the festival voted on the best sculpture created by teams of artists from the Chicago area as well as Michigan, Wisconsin, and Ohio, plus one team from Mexico City. Sculpting from blocks of snow on site will began the day before the festival opened to the public and attendees had the chance to vote on the works of art and snow starting on February 13 and February 14. An awards ceremony held at the Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies (610 S. Michigan) announced the winning sculptures.
“It’s important during the winter months to offer children and their families positive activities that they can do together,” said Mayor Richard M. Daley. “This event not only embraces the fun of the season, but also highlights the many promising artists found in our Chicago Public Schools.”
The Chicago Public Schools participated with teams of student sculptors creating original snow works of art. The student teams represented the following high schools: Kenwood Academy; Lane Tech High School; Hyde Park Academy; Bronzeville Scholastic Institute and Northside College Preparatory. Joining them and guiding them were student groups from Vanguard High School in Arlington Heights and from Palatine High School in Palatine, both previous winners snow sculpting competitions.
The inaugural Snow Days Chicago featured numerous activities including a Snowboard Rail Jam with snowboarding demonstrations daily, plus a competition on Saturday night of the festival. Since becoming an Olympic sport, snowboarding has seen tremendous growth in popularity and Chicago’s own talent pool is rich with the best young snowboarders in the country including snowboarders from the Raging Buffalo Snowboard/Ski Park USASA Team.
The dog days of summer became the dog days of winter at Snow Days Chicago. Festival attendees enjoyed demonstrations of dog sled racing and weight pulling with Siberian Huskies. Demonstrations were held hourly and provided by Green Valley Dog Drivers.
Activities Igloo for kids focused on the many events of the month, highlighting the celebrations of President’s Day, Abraham Lincoln’s birthday, African American History Month and Valentine’s Day. Food and hot beverage booths were also be available on site at the event.
Event partner The Essex Inn offered special overnight package rates to make it easy to spend Snow Days in Chicago and at the hotel located at 800 South Michigan Avenue just one block south of the festival.
A special thank you to Epic Burger at 517 S. State Street and Subway at 604 S. Wabash for their donations.
The city of Chicago reserves the right to cancel or delay the event due to severe weather.
