These are so cool! Snow sculptures make this town the place to be in winter

Annual Winter Carnival in Upper Peninsula of Michigan has been tradition for 100 years

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society (Michigan Tech University)

All the inches of snow the Upper Peninsula of Michigan gets in the winter might not be appealing to some, but one university/town way up in the U.P. certainly makes the best of it each year.

For more than 100 years, Michigan Tech University has staged what’s known as the Winter Carnival, a festival filled with activities and most noteworthy of all, some creative and jaw-dropping snow sculptures.

Recommended Videos



The year’s event will take place from Feb. 8 to 11 on the campus in Houghton, located on a northwest tip of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.

The sculptures take roughly a month to build, with winners chosen in a variety of categories. Below are examples of photos from last year’s contest.


Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society. (Michigan Tech University)

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society (Michigan Tech University)

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society (Michigan Tech University)

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society (Michigan Tech University)

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society (Michigan Tech University)

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society (Michigan Tech University)

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society. (Michigan Tech University)

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society. (Michigan Tech University)

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society. (Michigan Tech University)

Courtesy photo. Blue Key National Honor Society. (Michigan Tech University)

Visit this website for even more photos of sculptures and their construction.

The festival started in 1922 and is organized by the university’s Blue Key National Honor Society.

Originally started in 1922 as a one-night event where students dressed up in animal costumes, circus-like acts were performed and there were contests for speed skating and figure skating, the event has grown into one of the country’s largest winter festivals.

In addition to the snow sculptures, there is usually an assortment of outdoor games and contests.

Last year, there was additional activities such as broomball — where participants essentially play hockey on an ice rink, except with brooms instead of sticks and a ball instead of a puck — curling and cross-country ski races.


About the Author:

Keith is a member of Graham Media Group's Digital Content Team, which produces content for all the company's news websites.

Recommended Videos