BYU-Idaho Radio · Artists Create Snow Sculpture for the City of Driggs
Since 2012, the city of Driggs, Idaho has held a winter-themed competition that challenges competitors to create the best snow sculpture.
Usually, a set number of teams compete against each other in this event. This year though, the coronavirus has put a damper on things. But instead of keeping everyone apart, the Downtown Driggs Association decided to bring everyone together.
Alison Brush, the executive director for the Downtown Driggs Association, says they decided to shift away from the “competition.”
“This year we decided to bring back past winners of the contest to make one large snowscape,” she said. “The team captain is a man named Doug Cassidy, and he’s been here since the competition started.”
The team that created the snow sculpture is made up of seven different people. They all worked together to craft a statue out of an 8x8x8 block of snow. The sculpture, called “That’s Snow Snake River” features multiple different species of wildlife riding a raft down the Snake River.
The competition has sparked a lot of interest in the area. Thousands of people in the past have stopped by the downtown plaza to check out the artists at work. Brush tells BYU-Idaho Radio that sometimes the teams will add on to their 8-foot-tall sculpture, making up to 15-foot tall snowscapes.
“it’s definitely something to witness, because you can’t imagine how they come up with an idea like this,” Brush said. “And typically, they wouldn’t be allowed to use any electric or power tools.”
But this is no typical situation. The Downtown Driggs Association wanted to help create something marvelous that the entire town could come together for. And it all worked out in the end. The snowscapes team finished “That’s Snow Snake River,” and you can view it in the Driggs downtown plaza right now, so long as the weather permits.
If you would like more information about the Snowscapes event, or to check out other events happening in the town, check out the Downtown Driggs Association’s website.