MINNEAPOLIS — The record challenging warmth and lack of natural snow is impacting several winter events scheduled this week.

The Minnesota Ice Festival at TCO Stadium in Eagan is laying down special tarp to preserve as much ice as possible.

“People like to touch the ice and actually experience it. And by putting these UV tarps over everything, it’s like an insurance package to ensure we can be open a couple more weeks after this,” said Robbie Harrell, Founder & CEO of Minnesota Ice.

The festival will be closed Thursday, but open again Friday with fireworks, and one of the largest ice sculpting competitions in the country.

“We’ve got ice sculptors coming in from all the way over in Europe and throughout the United States. We’ve got judges coming in from Canada. It’s really a big opportunity for the ice sculptors to showcase their art. We’re giving them 25 blocks of ice,” Harrell said.

Over in Theo Wirth Park, the warmth hasn’t stopped the cross-country skiers. But it has been a challenge for the Loppet Foundation, forcing them to change the route for this weekend’s races.

“The only races that will be affected are longer skis, they’ll now be five kilometer loops. But other than that, a lot of our events will continue as planned, because so much of it is based from the park originally,” said Meghan Cosgrove, the Loppet’s Executive Director. 

She says the uncooperative weather is just something her team has to anticipate from the start. But she said the course is ready to go — snow or shine.

“Being rooted here in Wirth is special in and of itself, and now everyone can be at the events together, so there’s a bigger community feel to it, in a sense,” said Cosgrove.

Harrell said more than 30,000 guests have already visited the ice festival and they’ll plan to keep it open as long as the weather allows.

For any additional changes, or to buy tickets for the ice festival, visit their website.

The latest on the Loppet can be found here.