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Qualifications/ Age:
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Open to all applicants with the ability and
equipment to carve ice and who will be at least eighteen (18) years of age on
January 31, 2027.
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Application and Release:
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Completed and signed applications and releases
may be submitted to the Saint Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation, 429
Landmark Center, 75 West 5th Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102. The January 1, 2027
deadline applies to consideration for A-frame artwork displays, not to
participation applications. Applications submitted later may be accepted
subject to available competition space.
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Contestant(s):
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Each entry may have up to two contestants. If
an entry has two contestants submitted as a “team”, both may collaborate on the
sculpture submitted. Awards will be made for the carving as a single entry in
the Contest with the team thus sharing the prize and honors. Only the
contestants and helpers are allowed in the carving area. You/We may refer potential contestants that
want to be on a team. Please Contact SPFHF for details.
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Helpers:
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Each entry is limited to one helper who must be
at least eighteen (18) years of age on January 31, 2027. The helper must be
registered at the time of contestant application. A helper can lift, move,
touch or hold the ice with only tongs or hands. A helper may clean any part of
the carving area but not the ice carving itself. Only the contestants and
helpers are allowed in the carving area.
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Selection of Contestants:
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Applicants will be screened by a Selection
Committee and selected to participate on the basis of proposed sketches which
become the property of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival upon submission with the
applications.
Sculpture content and community standards: All submitted designs, sculptures in
progress, completed sculptures, and accompanying signage must be suitable for a
family-friendly public event. Political or campaign-related messages,
endorsements or opposition to candidates, parties, or causes; discriminatory or
hateful imagery; sexually explicit content; and other material inconsistent
with event community standards are prohibited. This includes direct or indirect
messaging, altered wording, coded references, and symbols reasonably understood
to convey such messages. Competition officials may decline artwork, request
revisions, stop carving, disqualify an entry, or cover or remove a sculpture.
Standards will be applied consistently regardless of viewpoint. Declining a
proposed design does not automatically decline the carver's participation.
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Event Date & Times:
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Contest date is Sunday, January 31, 2027, 9 a.m.
to 2 p.m. Registration and pre- and post-contest meeting times and locations
will be emailed or mailed to selected contestants prior to the start of the
contest.
All competition ice is to be carved on the premises, and within the specified
time limits. Sculptures may be started no earlier than 9 AM. All work on
sculptures in both divisions must be stopped by 2 PM. No one may touch the
carving ice or scrape ice after the time clock has stopped. Only tools can be
removed from the carving area during a five-minute grace period after the time
clock has stopped. Only the contestant(s) and one helper are allowed inside the
roped-off carving area. Judging for the Professional Division begins once the
Professional carving area has cleared at approximately 2 PM. Artisan carvers
may continue through 3 PM.
Weather and site conditions: The Saint Paul Winter Carnival may modify
competition schedules, locations, judging procedures, or activities due to
weather, unsafe site conditions, or operational circumstances. Participants
will be notified of material changes as soon as reasonably practicable.
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Entry Consistency:
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A contestant’s sculpture must be consistent
with the sketch that was proposed and selected by the Selection Committee. Any
sculpture deemed inconsistent with the selected sketch is subject to
disqualification.
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Ice Provision:
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All categories will be furnished with two full blocks of artificial ice. Each
block will be approximately 10” x 20” x 40” in size. There is no requirement
for a base; you may use the ice as you wish. This ice is TOTAL USABLE ICE. Finished
sculptures must be entirely of ice.
Rules officials may allow flawed blocks of ice
to be replaced before the event begins. If a block breaks during the
competition, rules officials may authorize a replacement under the following
conditions:
a.
The
break is determined by the rules official(s) to have been caused by another
team, competitor, or helper of another competitor, competition worker or
spectator.
b.
Original
time restriction will still be in effect (no extra time given for broken
block).
c.
Replacement
of ice is subject to availability of ice.
Participation in the Contest will be at the sole
risk of the contestant(s). The Saint Paul Winter Carnival bears no
responsibility for property or personal loss, damage or injury suffered in
connection with participation in the Contest.
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Freezing Agents:
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Use of chemical freezing agents such as Freon,
butane and other propellants or hydrocarbons are considered hazardous to the
environment and personal safety and are not permitted. CO2 and dry ice are the
only accepted freezing agents and may only be used as a freezing agent, not as
a prop to create “smoke.”
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Snow:
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Snow must be made from the blocks provided. No
foreign materials may be left on the finished sculpture. No artificial props,
lights, coloring or containers may be used.
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Tools:
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Contestants must furnish their own tools and
clean-up rakes. Chain saws or similar tools are permissible only at the sole
risk and full liability of the users, and only if the use is minimized. Those
using chain saws will be assigned ice blocks in the same area. Chain saws and
power tools may be used only between the hours of 9 a.m. and 2 p.m. Water will
be provided; however, bring your own buckets. No stakes may be placed in the
ground.
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Safety:
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Each competitor is responsible for his/her own
safety as well as the safety of other competitors and the general public. Remember - SAFETY FIRST! The rules officials
have the right to stop you from carving if something is deemed unsafe. In addition, each competitor is responsible
for the safety of his/her carving. The Saint Paul Winter Carnival cannot be
responsible in the event your carving is destroyed or damaged by the public,
another carver, or staff members.
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Violations:
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Violations of any of these rules may result in
penalties, including point deductions or disqualification. A schedule of
warnings, deductions and disqualifications will be explained by the rules
official prior to the competition.
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Parking:
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Complimentary parking will be provided for
participating carvers at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Arrival and parking
instructions will be shared before the competition.
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Judging:
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A panel of judges engaged by the Saint Paul Winter Carnival will score the works. Judging will take place from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. January 31, 2027. Total points will determine standing. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony following the judging. Judging criteria are as follows:
- DESIGN
- Creativity / Originality
- Completeness of design
- EXECUTION
- Initial impact
- Attention to detail
- Technical difficulty
- Utilization of ice
- Finishing
- Site cleanup
- Sculpture matches design
The lead judge has the final jurisdiction on all questions of rules and judging. Judges reserve the right to withhold prize awards for any of the listed award categories. The decisions of the judges are final.
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Awards:
Signage:
Advertising:
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Professional:
1st - $600
2nd - $400
3rd - $200
Any outside signage is not allowed on the sculpture or on the grounds without the prior authorization.
Promotional advertising is strictly forbidden unless authorized by the Saint Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation prior to the event. Forms of advertising include, but are not limited to, logos, names of businesses/organizations, characters specifically tied to an organization’s branding.
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