Ice Palace Maze unveiled for Wintertime in Stillwater festivities

STILLWATER, Minn. (FOX 9) - The City of Stillwater is beginning 2022 with Wintertime in Stillwater, featuring the return of the famed Ice Palace Maze, complete with more than 775,000 pounds of ice, as well as, a 36-foot ice slide, and half a mile of frozen passages that light up at night.

The highly anticipated Inaugural World Snow Sculpting Championship also returns Jan. 18-23, 2022. 

The outdoor Ice Palace will return again with a new design, ice slide, ice bar and bonfire areas. Patrons can view ice sculptures while warming up with s’mores and a hot chocolate. Tickets are $20 for adults and teens, $12 for kids ages 5-12, and free for kids 4 and under.

The new World Snow Sculpting Championship event this year is the Inaugural World Snow Sculpting Championship, sanctioned by the Association Internationale de Sculpture sur Neige et Glace based in Finland, which will feature multiple snow sculpting teams from around the world, including Argentina, Canada, Germany, Turkey and the U.S. Dubbed "The World’s Coolest Block Party," the judged event will include social activities, a people’s choice award, ceremonies and more. 

Other returning events and attractions in January include: 
• Free riverside ice skating rink (Opening mid-January, outside Water Street Inn) 
• Frozen Flannel Outdoor Curling & Bonspiel (Jan. 15, outside Water Street Inn) 
• Fire & Ice Winter Social featuring hot air balloons floating high above the St. Croix River (Jan. 28-30, Lowell Park) 
• Historic Winter Ice Cream Social featuring free ice cream from Leo’s Malt Shop (Jan. 29, Lowell Park) 
• The free LED light show, set to music nightly from 5-10 p.m. (open now through St. Patrick’s Day, Chestnut Street). Visitors can also stroll along the illuminated historic Lift Bridge, river walk and Main Street all winter long.