On January 10, ice sculptor Paul Wertin will begin installing Night Owls, another dazzling display of illuminated ice sculptures along the Gore Creek Promenade for the 18th iteration of Vail Winterfest, an ethereal outdoor gallery sponsored by the Town of Vail’s Art in Public Places Program.

Meanwhile on the banks of the Eagle River downvalley, the paying public frolics in an interactive frozen fortress built by the artisans of Ice Castles, which this winter adds Eagle to its list of five winter playgrounds nationwide, from Utah to New Hampshire.