2026 SAINT PAUL WINTER CARNIVAL
MULTI-BLOCK ICE CARVING COMPETITION
Thursday, January 22, 2026, 7 PM – Saturday, January 24, 2026, 7 PM
Application and Release
1. Applicants will provide names of up to four carvers.
2. Applicants whose entries are not accepted will be notified by e-mail or telephone.
3. Any selected contestant who is not present by 6:30 PM on the day of the contest will forfeit his or her position and will be excluded from the competition.
4. A SKETCH (no pictures) of the proposed sculpture and a sculpture title must be submitted to the office by January 19th. The sketch will be the primary basis for consideration in the Selection Committee’s review of applications for contestant selection, and, upon submission, will become the property of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival.
- Please submit Option 1 - Cold Weather design or Option 2 - Warm Weather design. You must designate which upon arrival.
- Sketches and titles may be submitted to Lisa at lisaj@spfhf.org by January 19th with your name and contact information included to pair with this online application.
5. A $200 per diem will be given to each Ice Carving Team to be used for food, beverage, parking, and other expenses that are incurred during the Ice Carving competition. One meter parking space will be provided near your Ice Carving location.
6. All applications must be received no later than January 15, 2026. Carving location assignments will be made on the first day of the Multi-Block contest via a random drawing.
I/We the undersigned, hereby request permission to enter the Saint Paul Winter Carnival Ice Carving
Competition (Hereafter “Contest”) from 7 PM on January 22, 2026 to January 24, 2026 at 7 PM, in the following category:
Multi-block Division
The contest area is Rice Park, downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota. I/We know the risks and dangers involved in such activities, and that unanticipated and unexpected dangers may arise during such activities. I/We assume all risks of injury to my/our person(s) and property that may be sustained in connection with my/our participation in the Contest and associated activities in and about the premises.
I/We understand that the Contest will be governed by the official 2026 Saint Paul Winter Carnival Multi-Block Ice Carving Contest Rules attached hereto, and I/We hereby agree to abide by those rules.
The Saint Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation (Winter Carnival) has the right to use Applicant/Participant Project materials and any photos/renderings/videos of said project for any purposes that SPFHF seems reasonable.
In consideration of the permission granted to me/us to enter the premises and participate in the Contest, I/We hereby, for myself/ourselves, my/our heirs, administrators and assigns, release and discharge the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, the operators and sponsors of the Contest and their respective servants, agents and officers, and all other participants in the Contest, from all claims, demands, actions and causes of action of any sort, for injury sustained to my/our person(s) and/or property during my/our presence on the premises and my/our participation in the Contest due to negligence or any other fault.
I/We certify that my/our attendance and participation in the Contest is voluntary and that I/we am/are not in any way an employee, servant or agent of the owners or operators of the premises or of the sponsors of the Contest.
Carver Awards Dinner Information
Multi block carving teams receive one complimentary admission per carver
Multi block carving teams receive one shirt per carver
Additional guests are $20.00 each
Additional shirts will be available to purchase
You will be contacted at a later date about the Carver Awards Dinner and RSVP information
Contest Rules
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Qualification/
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 23, 2026.
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Application and Release:
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A completed and signed official Application and Release form must be filed with the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, Saint Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation (SPFHF), 429 Landmark Center, 75 West 5th Street, Saint Paul, MN 55102, no later than January 15, 2026, for each person who wishes to become an applicant.
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Teams:
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Up to four eligible contestants—submitting an application as a team—may collaborate on a single sculpture of ice. Awards will be made for the carving as a single entry in the Contest with the team thus sharing the prize and honors.
You/we may refer potential contestants that want to be on a team. Please contact SPFHF for details.
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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. The Contest is limited to twelve entries.
Sculptures may not contain sexual or political themes. The Selection Committee will not select any proposed sketch deemed in its sole discretion to contain inappropriate political themes or to be inconsistent with community standards.
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Contest Event:
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Contest begins January 22, 2026 at 7 PM and ends January 24, 2026 at 7 PM The contest will run from Thursday through Saturday. Contestants will receive information by email or mail on pre- and post-contest meeting times and locations on or before January 15, 2026. All competition ice is to be carved on the premises, and within the specified time limits. Sculptures may be started no earlier than 7 PM January 22, 2025. Judging will begin at 7 PM January 24, 2025. Contestants must have removed all tools and left the Contest Area prior to the start of judging.
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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.
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:
- 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.
- Original time restriction will still be in effect (no extra time given for broken block).
- 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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Ice Provision:
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Each contestant or team will be furnished with 10 blocks of artificial ice approximately 10 inches thick, 20 inches wide and 40 inches long. This ice is TOTAL USABLE ICE. Finished sculptures must be entirely of ice. Sculptures must be no more than twelve (12) feet above the ground, and no wider than 12 feet by 10 feet. ANY DEVIATION FROM THIS WILL RESULT IN POINTS DEDUCTIONS OR DISQUALIFICATION.
Snow must be made from the blocks provided. CO2 and dry ice may only be used as a freezing agent, not as a prop to create “smoke.” NO OTHER FREEZING AGENTS WILL BE ALLOWED. No foreign materials may be left on the finished sculpture. No artificial props, lights, coloring or containers may be used.
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Lighting:
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Each contestant or team will be given ground lighting.
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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. Water will be provided; however, bring your own buckets. No stakes may be placed in the ground (including tent or canopy stakes).
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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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Judging:
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A panel of judges engaged by the Saint Paul Winter Carnival will score the works. Judging will take place after 7 PM on January 24, 2026. Total points will determine standing. Winners will be announced at an awards ceremony to be held on January 25, 2026.
Judging criteria are as follows:
Design
- Creativity / Originality
- Completeness of Design
Execution
- Initial impact
- Attention to detail
- Technical difficulty
- 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 in any of the listed award categories. All decisions of the judges are final.
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Awards:
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1st Place
2nd Place
3rd Place
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Awards and prize money will be allocated by number of teams entered in the contest. At least 5 teams must be registered for 1st, 2nd, and 3rd places to be awarded. The stakes rise as more teams register. Please see the following page for details.
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Signage:
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Any outside signage is not allowed on the sculpture or on the grounds without the prior authorization.
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Advertising:
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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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Prize Money Based Number of Entrants – 2026
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# of Teams
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1st
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2nd
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3rd
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4th
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5th
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6th
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2
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$ 750
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3
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$ 1,000
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$ 500
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4
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$ 1,250
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$ 675
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5
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$ 1,250
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$ 675
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$ 350
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6
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$ 1,500
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$ 750
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$ 350
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7
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$ 1,500
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$ 750
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$ 375
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$ 200
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8
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$ 1,750
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$ 1,000
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$ 500
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$ 200
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9
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$ 1,750
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$ 1,000
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$ 500
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$ 200
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$ 100
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10
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$ 2,000
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$ 1,000
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$ 600
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$ 300
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$ 100
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11
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$ 2,000
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$ 1,250
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$ 600
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$ 300
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$ 150
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$ 100
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12
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$ 2,250
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$ 1,500
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$ 750
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$ 350
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$ 150
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$ 100
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I/WE HAVE READ AND UNDERSTOOD THE ABOVE REQUEST AND RELEASE. BY CHECKING THE AGREEMENT BOX AND ENTERING NAME AND DATE, YOU AND YOUR PARTY AGREE TO THESE TERMS, CONDITIONS & RELEASE.