Have you ever seen a block of snow slowly develop into a majestic snow sculpture? For the next couple weeks, the town of Banff transforms into a winter wonderland with magical snow sculptures, winter play, events, and more with the annual SnowDays celebrations. The snow sculptures are only one piece of this event, but they decorate the town and add cheer to the whole occasion.

But how are these giants even made?

A snow sculpture starts with the raw material – snow itself. Snow is gathered and packed into specialty-made wooden forms. With the right pressure and temperature, this snow settles and takes the shape of a giant cube. Once the snow has had time to settle – usually several days – the wooden forms are removed and the snow cube remains. It's almost ready to be carved. This is the perfect canvas for the artists to create their masterpieces.

"Hidden Hearts" by David Ducharme and Susanne Ruseler Winlaw decorates Banff for SnowDays

Now the fun begins. Artists get to bring their vision to life! It often starts with a marker sketch, and then anything that isn’t part of the sculpture is removed, revealing the spectacular, pressed snow masterpiece to glitter throughout the festival. Artists use a variety of tools to get the job done. Chainsaws often remove large chunks of snow while chisels whittle away at the delicate details. The process takes about three days before the sculpture is complete.

The end result is an outdoor gallery of snowy creations for everyone to enjoy. Crews light the sculptures so they continue spreading joy after the sun goes down.

For more information on the snow sculptures, as well as the SnowDays festival, check out the schedule of events from Banff & Lake Louise Tourism.