This really is not an easy question to answer because ice is not a permanent medium, like stone, or wood.  The moment an ice sculpture is complete, it begins to change.  Any Ice Alaska Volunteer will tell you that the best part of the show is watching the Artists work.  That’s why many of us became involved, and why many folks purchase season tickets.  

 

This year we are featuring three Professional Artists events, a Youth Event and Amateur Open Event, over a period of five weeks.  We are also starting the competitions in the middle of February to take advantage of the cooler winter days to help keep the smaller exhibits in better condition for a longer period of time.  The Single Block/One Person Classic ends the evening of February 17.  Five days later, the Two-Block/Two Person Classic ends the evening of February 22.  Finally the Multi-Block Classic ends the evening of March 2.  Our Youth Classic is traditionally held during Spring Break, this year March 11-15, 2019.

 

The gamble here is what happens if we experience one of those unseasonable melting heatwaves?  Well, then those smaller sculptures will begin to melt.  The week of Spring Break, when professional sculptors and local youth will be working and learning to sculpt ice, the weather will be warming up, we will be approaching 12 hours of daylight, and the older sculptures will start to warp and some will even begin melting.  This is an outdoor event and we control what we can, like shading, to protect the art from direct sunlight.  But, we really can’t control the weather.  The whole situation is fluid, well, frozen fluid, constantly moving, constantly changing.  

 

So, to the original question: “What’s the best day for me to see all the finished sculptures?”  This Volunteer recomends  a season pass and plan several visits