Ice Castles, a family friendly winter wonderland experience amid sculpted ice, will not return to Colorado in 2021.
A spokeswoman for Ice Castles said the company was exploring a move from Dillon to Silverthorne, but for various reasons, it did not work.
"As with any large-scale event, there are a lot of factors to consider when determining a new location: land, access to water, adequate drainage, parking, and traffic flow are all examples of factors that weigh into each decision for Ice Castles," the spokeswoman said.
Dillon Town Park, where Ice Castles was built, was slated for renovations and improvements, so that area was no longer an option, she said.
While Ice Castles won't be back in Colorado for 2021, the company hopes to return to the state again in the future.
Kerstin Anderson, a spokesperson for Dillon, said the renovation of the town park was the main reason behind the change.
"We knew that this wouldn't be their forever home, and the timing of construction just really didn't align with their dates of operation," Anderson said. "...It was magical. It was so fun. When you went there, you felt like a kid again. You saw so many people with smiles on their face. It was, really, a special experience."
The company has held the annual multi-week event for the past four seasons.
Ice Castles will show in Utah, Wisconsin, Minnesota, New Hampshire, and New York this year. All five locations have job openings for build crews.
In October 2018, Denver7 went 360 on the Ice Castles in Dillon, where people expressed both excitement and irritation by the upcoming setup.
Dillon saw nearly a half million dollars in economic impact as a result of having the Ice Castles in town in 2017. Several residents also described their love for the event.
But come later in the season, other residents said issues with drainage at the Dillon Town Park caused some flooding, and construction equipment used to take down the ice tore up the grass and left mud patches.
By the fall of 2018, the Town of Dillon had made improvements to make the event run better. A new drainage system was installed at the town park, and issues of sloping and water conservation were discussed and dealt with.
The town was similarly split with the announcement of Ice Castles not returning in 2021.
Manuel Gomez, who owns Tequila Bar and Grill across the street from the park, said it will likely hurt his business.
Jamie Jenson, who works at MTN Kitchens, also across the street, said she won't be sad to see it go, since it built up traffic in the area.
