Ice in Minnesota is usually seen as negative. It can lurk under the snow and make you slip and fall. If you’re driving, it can make you slide into the ditch, or even get into an accident. We all have our own stories of how ice has embarrassed us, however, just because ice can be a menace doesn’t mean it can’t also be beautiful. Some people have even taken to making ice sculptures to help bring us through the winter.
Every year, St. Paul hosts the annual Winter Carnival. The event was created in 1886 and is still upheld today. According to the event’s Facebook page, the winter carnival was created because a New York reporter visited Minnesota and said, “[it was] another Siberia, unfit for human habitation.” The winter carnival was created to prove that reporter and the rest of the country wrong. At the winter carnival, almost everything is made out of ice or snow. 
There is also a “Frozen Narnia” ice castle in Eden Prairie. The entire castle is carved out of ice and lit with LED lights to make the ice glow. Some Minnesota ice castles are uniquely made from icicles rather than harvested ice blocks. According to CBS’ article on one such ice castle, the artist who made it used about 20,000,000 pounds of ice! The icicles make the castle look like a natural wonder.
As Minnesotans, we have certainly turned winter into its own art show. This season, grab your friends and family, head to one of the events, and spend some time enjoying the beauty of ice!
