The Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition is a free, family-friendly community winter event hosted by the Rockford Park District.

The 30th Annual Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition scheduled for January 20-23, 2016 at Sinnissippi Park, 1401 N. Second Street, Rockford, has been postponed to January 27-30, 2016.

The Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition is a free, family-friendly community winter event hosted by the Rockford Park District.

The event brings teams from around the state to Rockford to compete for the right to represent Illinois in the U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Competition; there is also a high school division.

“Even with the recent snowfall, we made the decision to postpone due to the fact that currently there is simply not enough usable snow at the Chicago Rockford International Airport to transport to Sinnissippi Park for the construction of the snow blocks. The other challenge we currently face is the poor quality of the snow due to dirt and ice,” says John Beck, Events & Recreation Projects Manager.

As many as 70,000 visitors view these massive works of snow art each year. Teams from around the state will compete in Rockford for the right to represent Illinois in the 2017 U.S. Nationals Snow Sculpting Competition, and high school teams from the Rockford area will compete in the high school division the same week.

The public is encouraged to cast their vote for the People’s Choice award between 8:30am and 11:00am on January 30. Winners will be announced at the awards ceremony at 1:00pm in the Sinnissippi Park Maintenance Building.

Sinnissippi Park is open to the public for sculpture viewing while weather permits. Viewing hours are daily from sunrise until 10:30pm. You may drive or walk through the park. Visitors are encouraged to take the time to walk through to maximize their experience and allow them to view the sculptures from all sides.

Limited parking is available at Sinnissippi Park. Additional parking is available at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens just west of Sinnissippi Park across N. Second Street.

For more information, visit www.ilsnowsculpting.com or contact: John Beck, Events & Recreation Projects Manager, at 815-987-1636 or johnbeck@rockfordparkdistrict.org,

— Illinois Snow Sculpting contest rescheduled for Jan. 27-30 —