Beautiful ice sculpture with Jaynee, the Titanics First Class Maid.
“The ‘Titanic – Worlds Largest Museum Attraction,’ in Branson, Missouri, is an exciting attraction on its own every day, but throughout the year they have a number of exciting and unique special family events for Branson visitors to see and experience,” said Tammy Johnson, the Director of Operations for the Branson Tourism Center. “One of their most anticipated events each year is its free annual Ice Carving Competition which will be held by the bow of the Titanic from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday, January 15, 2011.”
This 5th annual event will feature National Ice Carving Association’s (NICA) “Titans of Ice” competing against each other for cash prizes in two divisions, Professional and Amateur. At each level the competitors must create their sculptures from 250 pound blocks of ice within a prescribed period of time. The Amateur Division has three hours to carve one block and the Professional Division has four hours to carve two blocks. The sculptures will be judged by an official NICA judging panel with the results and prizes being awarded at 3 p.m.
NICA, is an association with the stated objective of “promoting ice sculpture through education, competitions, standardized judging, and exhibitions” and is headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois. In addition to competing for thousands of dollars in cash prizes, the carvers will also be competing for professional recognition within NICA and seeking points under NICA’s certification program
Five years ago, prior to the holding of the very first Ice Carving Competition, Mary Kellogg, co-owner of the Titanic, said it was the first of many special family events coming to the museum designed to give their visitors something new and exciting to see every time they visited. The fact that the Titanic is hosting its 5th Annual Ice Carving Competition as part of their continuing series of unique special family events, including everything from straw horse art to wood carving and reindeer, as well as a continuous stream of exciting new exhibits and features within the museum itself, illustrates the Titanic’s commitment to making each “passenger” visit a fresh entertaining and educational experience.
Johnson points out that the ice carving competition draws thousands of visitor and suggests an early arrival for the best views of competition as these artists turn blocks of ice into fabulous sculptures. For additional information or tickets for the Titanic or any of Branson’s other shows and attractions or for lodging arrangements please contact the Branson Tourism Center (BTC), one of Branson’s largest and most respected vacation planning services. BTC can be reached by either calling their toll free number 1-800-785-1550 or through their website www.BransonTourismCenter.com.