Cripple Creek will be without one of its signature cold-weather draws this year. The Ice Castles attraction will not be back this winter, with organizers pointing to "operational and business considerations" as the reason behind the decision. As part of those considerations, Ice Castles intends to reduce the overall number of locations where it operates this coming season.
The attraction made its Cripple Creek debut in 2023 and, over the seasons that followed, became a reliable draw for thousands of visitors, giving local businesses a meaningful economic boost during months that otherwise tend to be sluggish. Last season, however, a delay of three and a half weeks pushed the opening past the Christmas window — an outcome that Cripple Creek's director of marketing and events, Marie Rieger, described as "devastating." That attendance shortfall hit the lodging, food, and beverage sectors "dramatically," since the holiday period typically represents peak visitation for the event.
Keeping the structures intact depends on overnight temperatures that remain below freezing — a condition that failed to hold last season, when the castles were already melting. During its time in Cripple Creek, the attraction had expanded its on-site amenities to include a bar, snack sales, and firepits, while ice engineers updated the structural designs from one year to the next so that returning guests experienced something different each visit. Building the ice structures was itself a months-long effort, with crews typically working from late October through November before the castles opened to the public between late December and March, weather allowing.
Although Cripple Creek holds an ample supply of water to support the event, significant water challenges elsewhere in Teller County were also raised as a concern by both the city council and Ice Castles organizers during discussions about this season. Rieger said the city wanted to be thoughtful about water use and about "what message that sends to other communities who are struggling with water." The city indicated it hopes conditions will improve enough to welcome the attraction back at some point in the future.
Ice Castles CEO Kyle Standifird struck a positive tone in the announcement, saying, "We have loved our working relationship with the city and with the community. Thank you for being great partners over the past few years!"
With the attraction gone for the season, the city is working to fill the gap with alternative programming, including a Christmas tree lighting event and a rescheduled Christmas Parade set for the evening of December 12. Some additional events remain in development and still need City Council sign-off before they can move forward. The Cripple Creek Ice Festival, running February 12–20, is also on the calendar, with Rieger describing it as "bigger and better than ever."
Whether Ice Castles will commit to a specific timeline for returning to Cripple Creek remains an open question that the city has said it is not yet in a position to answer.