There’s an awful lot to do before winter ends, and we don’t want you to miss any of it. So we’re going share a few lines of can’t-miss activities perfect for the month of February. Climb the ice, watch others slide down it, gawk at the horses, and warm up after all that outside time with toasty cajun gumbo that’ll knock your boots off. Book your ticket, reserve your room at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, and enjoy winter before it melts!
CRIPPLE CREEK ICE FESTIVAL
Get to Cripple Creek Ice Festival before it melts! From Saturday February 18th through Sunday the 26th, the old mining town will play host to visitors from around the state, and a select few ice sculptors sure to wow audiences with their creations. Cripple Creek is just a short drive away from Colorado Springs, and the festival is free to attend. Show up and witness the artists in action carving their fantastic sculptures, watch a live Carver vs Carver competition, an ice slide, and more! Events run all week long with the Ice Sculptures on display every day. Battle of the Blade competitions will take place on Saturday the 18th and Saturday the 25th at 12:00, 1:30, and 3:00 pm. While you’re there, stroll along Cripple Creek’s charming main street and enjoy any one a number of different food and retail vendors who will have just the right thing to bring home as a memento of your visit there. Food and retail vendors will be open on February 18th, 19th, 20th, 25th, and 26th. Don’t miss the ice bar and liquor luge for a refreshing beverage along your way. Bundle up and see what one of our wacky western customs in action!
LAKE CITY ICE CLIMBING FESTIVAL
If you’re on the lookout for a healthy adrenaline rush to get you out of the house and into the great outdoors, we have just the ticket. The Lake City Ice Climbing Festival is lifting Coloradans to new heights! Imagine standing before a massive rock face, covered in an unforgiving, vertical sheet of blue ice. Now imagine scaling it. Sounds crazy, doesn’t it? For those who get a thrill out of climbing against the odds, and against gravity, competing in Lake City’s Ice Climbing Festival is like a late Christmas present. So why not come and watch them! Every year in early February, climbers of all ages and abilities compete against nature and each other for prizes in lead and top rope categories for men and women and simply for the pride of having accomplished such a feat.
The Lake City Ice Climbing Festival serves as an annual fundraiser for Lake City Ice Climbs, Inc.-- a non-profit organization that aims to provide a unique climbing experience at the Lake City Ice Park–with all entry fees benefitting the park. Stay with us at Cheyenne Mountain Resort while you’re in town for the event and let us show you some of our favorite breweries, eateries, trails, and shopping destinations to visit while you’re here.
WATCH THE FIRST ANNUAL WINTER POLO CLASSIC
The Broadmoor and Colorado Springs Sports Corporation are pleased to present the region’s newest outdoor sporting endeavor: The Broadmoor Winter Polo Classic. Watch as the Pikes Peak Region welcomes a resurgence of the resort's storied polo past to warm up your winter. The first winter polo tournament will take place at the Norris Penrose Event Center on February 25th at 2:30 pm and feature top polo players from around the country. You don't want to miss the pony goals and tail shots in one Chukker! It's time to welcome horse polo back to Colorado Springs this February. Get priority reserved seating for a steal at $50 a ticket and general admission seating for $35 per person. Visit the event website for all the details!
SCENIC SNOWSHOEING AND HIKING
This isn’t an event, per se, but it is a lovely activity to try on during the deep winter. Enjoy the short snow season by taking a winter hike or snowshoe adventure in the Springs’ big backyard. Backcountry exploration in the snow can be a beautiful and fun way to get some fresh air and sunshine during the winter, as long as you’re dressed warmly and doing it safely. If snowshoeing isn’t your thing, other winter activities to slide into include cross-country skiing and sledding, and you can try them all at Mueller State Park’s sprawling 5,000 acres. If you’re looking for a winter hike closer to Downtown, Garden of the Gods Park offers a variety of trails and views perfect for snowshoes or hiking boots. Plan to visit early in the day to avoid crowds and others’ snowshoe prints.
TAKE A JEEP TOUR
For those who want to explore our beautiful winter landscape without working too hard to do it, how about hopping on four wheels instead? Colorado Jeep Tours are the magic ticket— they’re comfortable, enclosed, and heated so the winter weather stays outside while you get to stay warm and cozy inside. Not bad, huh? Explore the vibrant rock formations of Red Rock Park or the depths of the Royal Gorge Canyon. This adventure includes a 4×4 climb to Overlook Arch in Red Canyon Park as your Jeep will wind its way through the red monoliths of the Fountain Formation, the same formation that made the Garden of the Gods and Red Rocks Amphitheater famous. You’ll travel past the Marsh and Cleveland Quarry sites to see where thousands of dinosaur bones have been excavated over the last 140 years, see Indian petroglyphs, and the site of Colorado’s first oil well. Want more info? Check their website.
Alternatively, Great Outdoor Adventures offers a fabulous guided mountain tour on a heated “sleigh ride” through our winter wonderland. See the magic of Teller County under a blanket of snow. Sleighs aren’t just for the holidays. They’re a charming and comfortable way to travers the snow any time of winter.
MUMBO JUMBO GUMBO COOK-OFF!
This time of year, deep in the February snow drifts, we crave food that warms us, and gumbo–the epitome of Cajun cuisine–is one of the best. Piping hot and filling, it’s the perfect soup of balanced spice and tender meat, seafood, and veg to send us ladling out seconds. And lucky for us, right in Soda Springs Park, a mere 20 minute drive away, we have 20 chefs cooking up their best.
Twenty-nine years and going strong, the Mumbo Jumbo Gumbo Cook-off is back in Manitou Springs, and you’re invited! On Saturday, February 18th, aspiring and professional cooks alike will chop, season, stew, and serve at least 5 gallons of their best gumbo for event judges and hungry ticket-holders like you. It’s a tradition that’s warmed hearts and bodies for almost three decades–whether you know and love gumbo or if you’re tasting it for the first time. For those who aren’t familiar, it’s a rich, tomato-based soup made from a combination of meat and seafood, okra and spices, that’s thickened and flavored by a roux or gumbo file (dried sassafras leaves) and other spices. Folks in Manitou Springs take their gumbo seriously and serve their spiced pots of soup in the first hours of Carnivale Weekend. It’s free to attend and follow your nose around the tables and inspired chefs, but if you want to sample their creations, tickets are 75 cents a taste or 3 for $2. First prize wins $100, but there’s a prize for best showmanship, too. Taste what all the mumbo jumbo is all about! You won’t leave hungry!
Here at Cheyenne Mountain Resort, we’re proud of the community-minded brilliance growing under our mile high sky. So stay with us and we’ll point your way to these and all the winter-time fun that we have to offer.
