For Immediate Release
Valentine's Day Weekend Event Serves as Gateway to National Competition
Omaha, Neb. – Heartwood Park, located at 301 S. 145th St., will transform from an outdoor ice-skating rink to a competitive snow sculpting arena February 13–15, 2026, as Heartwood Preserve hosts the Nebraska Snow Sculpting Championships. This sanctioned qualifying event, held in partnership with Nebraska Snow Sculpting, will determine which team represents Nebraska at the 2027 U.S. National Snow Sculpting Competition in Lake Geneva, Wisconsin.
Teams of up to three sculptors will compete for the state championship title, using only hand tools to create family-friendly masterpieces out of 4' x 4' x 8' blocks of specially made snow that will be created on-site at Heartwood Park. Both amateur and professional sculptors are welcome to compete and must submit a team application by January 30, 2026.
The Nebraska Snow Sculpting Championships offers a rare experience for spectators, having taken place in Nebraska just once before in 2019.
"Having a qualifying event of this caliber in Omaha with no entry fee to compete gives Nebraska sculptors a legitimate path to the national stage," said Competition Director Matt Seeley with Nebraska Snow Sculpting. "This isn't just a local contest; it's a sanctioned competition that brings the community together to put Nebraska snow art on the map. The fact that it's happening at Heartwood Preserve during Valentine's weekend makes it even more special."
Schedule and Event Highlights:
-Free to compete and attend the snow sculpting competition.
-Spectator and competition hours will be 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 13 and Saturday, Feb. 14.
-Judging will begin at 10 a.m. on Sunday, Feb. 15 with an awards ceremony at 2 p.m. and public viewing of the finished sculptures between 3-6 p.m. These events are open to the public.
-A People's Choice Award will be determined through public voting, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Sunday.
-Professional sculptor demonstrations throughout the weekend.
-Valentine's Day weekend programming with additional surprises for spectators.
For complete rules, judging criteria and application materials, visit https://heartwoodomaha.com/event/snow-sculpting-championships-2026/ or contact [email protected].
About Heartwood Preserve (www.heartwoodomaha.com)
Heartwood Preserve is a 500-acre mixed-use urban development with roughly 80 acres devoted to green space, 8 miles of bike paths and open trails and over 10,000 newly planted trees. Offering a wide variety of retail, commercial, residential and recreational facilities on an environmentally observant landscape, Heartwood Preserve is designed to become a top destination for the greater Omaha area and surrounding region. Follow Heartwood Preserve on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok or visit heartwoodomaha.com/events for the latest updates on events at Heartwood Park.