Ice Alaska and the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks

Ice sculpture is one of the most unique forms of art and skill that I’ve ever encountered. It’s so rare to come across it in the world, let alone experience an enormous collection of world class creations, and that’s just what you’ll find at the World Ice Art Championships and Ice Park in Fairbanks. Yes, for really getting to experience ice art and ice culture, you do need to visit a place like Fairbanks in the winter where it stays well below freezing temps for long periods, and also where the town understands how to really enjoy the icy climate.

The World Ice Art Championships start ramping up at the end of February and carry on through March with displays and fun until things begin to melt. It’s much more than some small ice sculptures you might see at a fancy wedding, so read on and see just what you might expect as you visit Fairbanks in the winter and check out Ice Alaska’s World Ice Art Championships and Ice Park. It’s so cool. If you have any questions about this or other fun things to do in Fairbanks in the winter, please leave a comment or send us a note. We’re always happy to share more and help you plan a fun Alaska trip!

Highlights of Ice Alaska and the Ice Art Championships

If you’ve come across this article in the summer, that’s great! It means that you have plenty of time to make sure you can be in Fairbanks at the end of winter when the city is all about ice. The World Ice Art Championships and the subsequent Ice Park that is constructed with it really is awesome and unique. There’s a lot happening in Fairbanks in the winter and there’s plenty to do, but if you can get things lined up to be able to be here at any point in the competition or soon after while the ice sculptures are still frozen and on display, that’s really ideal.

For anyone able to be in Fairbanks when the ice carving is happening (late Feb / early March) that’s a really cool thing to experience. Watching the ice take shape and ultimately fill the forest as the competitors complete their pieces is awesome. Not everyone can be there for the actual competition, so if that’s you and you’re going to be in Fairbanks for that last week of winter, you should still be able to see the incredible sculptures. Pair an evening of ice sculptures with Aurora Borealis viewing and you have a perfect Fairbanks plan.

The other great part of visiting the World Ice Art Championships is the Ice Park, called Ice Alaska (when you combine the park and ice art championship), that they build. Located at the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds, there’s lots of space that gets filled with different interactive ice exhibits and games. Ice chess, ice pong, yard games made of ice… It’s pretty cool. The highlight of the ice park though are the ice slides. When you’ve arrived you’ll see the ice park immediately, but you need to walk through to the actual fairgrounds building on the other side to check out sleds for the ice slides. You can race other people or just enjoy the ride as you climb the different structures and slide down. We had a great time and our kids didn’t want to leave the slides to see all the sculptures from the World Ice Art Championships, but then they loved that too.

Tips for a Great World Ice Art Championships Visit

Remember that the reason the World Ice Art Championships and the ice park of Ice Alaska are in Fairbanks is because it is so cold during the winter months and into early spring. This means that when you visit the Tanana Valley Fairgrounds to see the ice art and enjoy the ice park, you’ll need to be dressed for extremely cold temperatures. Some years spring creeps in a little earlier and starts to be a bit warmer than other years, but typically the peak of the World Ice Art Championship and keeping the ice part going is when the daily temperatures don’t get up over 20 degrees F.

Also, when you’re visiting the ice part and checking out the amazing sculptures, it’s as the sun is setting so the temperatures are dropping. Dress for absolute warmth!! The best time to see the carvings and sculptures from the World Ice Art Championships is once it’s fully dark outside. The park and viewing opens to the public before sunset, so if you want to arrive while it’s still light, go for it and just enjoy the ice park first. For photos and to get the full effect of the lights within the ice sculpture displays, the darker it is the better things look.

Being Prepared for Ice Alaska

As I said, dress warmly from head to toe because it’s cold when you’re enjoying all of the World Ice Art Championship fun. You’ll need gloves, and not just because it’s cold, but because if you’re doing the slides in the ice park you need to protect your chilly fingers. Also, I think snow pants are ideal when you’re doing the World Ice Art activities because you just never know when you’re going to want to sit on an ice throne or bench.

When it comes to bringing a big camera, I actually would recommend leaving it at home. Photos of the ice sculptures in their very dark setting are quite difficult to capture well with a fancy camera. The dimensions of ice and varying light is extremely complex to shoot unless you’re very in tune with your manual focus skills and can shoot on a very high ISO. I’m a pretty good photographer and had much better photos from my camera phone.

We are all different with varying skills though, so do what works best for you. If you happen to be around with the initial ice carving is happening in the daylight hours, for sure bring a good camera with a telephoto (up to 400mm) to capture the process of creating the entry pieces for the World Ice Art Championships.

Dates of World Ice Art Championships at Ice Alaska

Every year the dates for the World Ice Art Championship vary, as they line up with weekends and other Fairbanks happenings. Before committing to your winter Fairbanks trip dates, double check the Ice Alaska website to see the dates for the upcoming World Ice Art Championships and when the ice park will be open. Example dates from 2025:

2025 Competition schedule – a similar schedule can be expected each year.

Things to do in Fairbanks

I feel like when people talk about visiting Alaska, Fairbanks is a last thought, but it shouldn’t be. I love this city, it’s people, it’s dogsled culture and the beautiful nature all around it. Fairbanks is THE winter destination in Alaska with ample dark sky space to watch the Northern Lights and endless outdoor opportunities, whether you’re looking for a mellow snowy escape or hardcore Alaskan adventures. In summer, Fairbanks is a great home base for visiting the Arctic Circle, Denali National Park, spending days kayaking or fishing. It’s beautiful!

Ideas for Fairbanks activities:

Where to Stay in Fairbanks, Alaska

Keep in mind when you’re planning your trip to Fairbanks that it is not a large city. It’s the second largest in Alaska, but it’s not huge. Hotel options are limited and when it comes to booking a luxury hotel stay, that’s not really a thing here. There are nice hotels and really cool lodges and vacation rentals, but white glove luxe ain’t happening. We’ve stayed in all kinds of Fairbanks accommodations, so have solid recommendations (below). I like being based downtown if we have a diverse, busy itinerary, but staying outside of town up in the hills is such a treat, it’s worth planning a night or two away from the city.

You’ll find that the cost of lodging in Fairbanks ranges wildly from season to season. In the summer, standard hotel rooms are not likely available for under $250 per night, with the average being well over $300 per night. In the winter you can get some awesome hotel deals as low as $125 per night. Just keep this in mind as you’re planning your visit to Fairbanks or anywhere in Alaska.

Here are our hotel picks in Fairbanks: