By Jim Hagerty
Reporter

ROCKFORD — Sinnissippi Park will be open to the public Feb. 6-9 for the 2019 Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition.

Teams from around the state will compete in for the right to represent Illinois in the 2020 U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition, and high school teams from the Rockford area will compete in the high school division.

Viewing hours are daily from sunrise until 10:30 p.m. An awards ceremony will be at 1 p.m., Saturday.

Visitors may drive or walk through the park, however, organizers encourage everyone to view the sculptures on foot to maximize their experience and view the them from all sides.

Limited parking is available. Additional parking is available at Nicholas Conservatory & Gardens just west of Sinnissippi Park across North Second Street.

Admission is free. The 2019 event was initially scheduled for Jan. 16-19 but was postponed for snowmaking.

The Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition is a free, family-friendly community winter event hosted by the Rockford Park District. The event brings teams from around the state to Rockford to compete for the right to represent Illinois in the national contest. Typically, more than 30,000 attend the Illinois Snow Sculpting Competition to admire the massive works of snow art. R.