CRIPPLE CREEK, COLO. -- It was all about ice this weekend in Cripple Creek.
World-famous artists used some serious tools to sculpt blocks of ice along Bennett Street for the 6th Annual Ice Festival.
Chainsaws and drills helped each team transform 70 blocks of ice into this year's theme, "A Mythological Wonderland."
Jess Parrish of CoolHandIce.com and his crew created a phoenix rising, and a triple-headed dog to name just a few.
He said he likes the challenge of sculpting, and takes his drawings to the next level with the frosty medium.
"You can't see it now but when it's crystal clear you'll be able to see that bubble bit refract the light," he said, describing a ball-shaped drill his teammate used.
Jess explained this craft takes time, but also a lot of planning. They draw out a rough draft, create a cookie-cutter outline in the ice and then round it out into it's true form.
He doesn't mind that his creation melts away, "It's starting with a new canvas," he said.
But it's not all about the artists here.
They've crafted ice bowling, a slippery frozen slide and a mirror-like mini maze out of ice columns for the kids to enjoy.
Shailyn and Kirsten, both 7 years old, said this is the most fun they've had in a long time.
"We want to do everything up here!," Shailyn exclaimed.
The cold temperatures didn't seem to bother them. It was cool enough to fit the day's theme, and the weather was helpful for the artists, too.
"It's nice and cool and there's little breeze that runs through so it polishes the ice," Parrish explained.
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