Ice Alaska is a volunteer-driven organization that hosts the World Ice Art Championships. It and World Ice Art began in Fairbanks in the 1930’s to celebrate the end of winter. This “winter carnival” included music, dancing, parades, dog races and ice carving. Ice thrones were built for the festival’s King and Queen. The World Ice Art Championships became Ice Alaska in 1989 and was held on a 20-acre site across the Chena River from Pioneer Park. In 2012 they moved to the George Horner Ice Art Park and in 2018 the event moved to the Tanana Valley State Fairgrounds.

The ice used at the World Ice Art Championships in Fairbanks, Alaska, is often referred to as the “Arctic diamond”. It is thick, crystal clear and glistening with a slight tinge of aquamarine. There is a saying that it is so clear you can read a newspaper through a block of it. This high-quality ice comes from a gravel pit near North Pole, Alaska, where, volunteers from Ice Alaska harvest more than 4 million pounds of ice in preparation for the event. It’s magical to watch as beautiful art works emerge from these blocks of ice as the sculptors work around the clock.

In the center of the Ice Art Park, adjacent to the woods where all the competition sculpting takes place, there is a large Kid’s Park, constructed entirely from ice. There are slides for all ages, life-sized sculptures of animals, and characters to touch and climb on plus interactive games such as Corn Hole and Ping Pong. The Ice Art Park also features an “ice stage” for various performances and award ceremonies.