See the snow sculptures at the Dubuque Winter Arts (2026)
For the past few years, Dubuque has held their annual winter snow sculpting festival during the second full weekend in Feb, which is tentatively scheduled for Feb 14th and 15th. It features professional, amateur, and collegiate artists who turn a large cube of snow into a masterpiece.
Address: Sundown Mountain Resort, 16991 Asbury Rd, Dubuque, Iowa
Website: https://dbqart.org/snow-sculpt
What is the Winter Arts Snow Sculpting Festival?
Teams of three compete for either a $1000 grand prize or $300 for the People’s Choice award by building their best sculpture out of snow. Teams use their own tools (no power tools allowed) to fashion snow, ice, and water into a sculpture.
When is the Winter Arts Snow Sculpting Festival for 2025?
Sculpting starts on Feb 7th and runs through noon on Feb 8th. The public is welcome to watch the sculpting process. Judging begins at noon on Sunday, Feb 8th, 2026.
What is the deadline to enter?
There is no cost to submit, but applications are due by 5 pm on Friday Jan 31st, 2026. Visit the City of Dubuque’s webpage for competition requirements for application information.
What are the rules for who can enter?
Each team can be made of only three people, who must be 18 years old. If you win and want a chance to represent the state of Iowa at the national competition, two of the members must be residents of Iowa. Each team will receive a 6-foot by 6-foot by 8-foot cube of snow. The final creation must be less than 10 feet in width or depth.
How are sculptures judged and what can you win?
Sculptures are judged on three criteria: Creativity, Technique & Craftmanship, and Overall Impression. The overall winner not only receives $1,000, but they are also crowned the state of Iowa snow sculpting champion and are entered into the national snow sculpting contest. There is also a $300 prize for the team voted as Peoples Choice Award, which is done in person and online by the visitors.
What if there is no snow on the ground?
If there is no snow on the ground, the competition continues as they bring snow in from one of the sponsors – Sundown Mountain Resort. However, other inclement weather can alter the schedule.
