Why So Cold? Ice Castles Won’t Be Coming Back To Colorado In 2022
A winter tradition loved by Coloradoans all across the state will not be making its return to Colorado in 2022.
For the second year in a row, Colorado will be deprived of the iconic Ice Castles, a popular winter attraction formerly visited by thousands every year.
Why won't the Ice Castles be coming back to Colorado?
The Ice Castles attraction - an interactive experience in which visitors are invited to walk through life-sized ice castles that glow in beautiful, vibrant colors - originally had a home in Dillion, CO. However, the attractions former location is no longer an option, as Dillion's Town Park undergoes construction.
“Dillon’s Town Park is under construction, and the timing of the construction was not conducive to the Ice Castles dates of operation,” Kerstin Anderson, spokesperson for the town of Dillion said.
“The location they have historically operated from will be a new multi-use field once construction is complete, which also would not align with the Ice Castles dates of operation.”
The Ice Castles made an attempt to move to Silverthorne in 2021, while Dillion's Town Park remained off the table, but the timing didn’t work out.
Has Colorado seen the last of the Ice Castles?
While the iconic winter attraction won't be returning to Colorado this year, that doesn't necessarily mean we here in Colorado have seen the last of the Ice Castles.
“There are a lot of factors that we must consider when determining whether a location will work,” Melissa Smuzynski, an Ice Castles spokesperson told The Denver Post.
“Access to water, sustainable temperatures, adequate parking, sufficient drainage, and a space large enough to create the venue are just a few factors that we have to consider.”
Smuzynski said Ice Castles officials are currently scouting sites with hopes of landing in Grand, Eagle or Summit County next winter.
“We are in discussions to bring the attraction back to the state in winter 2023-24,” Smuzynski said. “While we won’t be back in Colorado this winter, we have big plans in store for when we are able to return.”
In the meantime, five other states around the country will still get the chance to experience the iconic Ice Castles this winter; those states include:
- Utah
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
- New Hampshire
- and New York
Want to learn more about the Ice Castles? Visit icecastles.com.