This is a press release courtesy of PRNewswire

Experience the visual grace of the creation and exhibition of fleeting art. The Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships return to Breckenridge for the 19th year from January 20-25, 2009.

For the 2009 event, 16 teams from around the globe have been invited to compete from nine countries including Bulgaria, Canada, China, Germany, Mexico, the Netherlands, Spain, Switzerland and the USA. Snow Sculpting is attended annually by more than 30,000 people of all ages from across America and the world and has been named by USA Today as "one of the top 10 ways to celebrate winter."

Each year, four-person teams are assigned 12-foot-tall, 20-ton blocks of machine-made snow. These teams work within a five-day period to create sensational sculptures. From these blocks of snow, the teams often create enormous pieces of whimsy, although some deliver powerful political or social commentary. Some sculptures are even interactive and allow spectators to experience the tactile as well as visual grace of the fleeting exhibit. The finished pieces are achieved after a total of 65 intense hours of work without the use of power tools, internal support structures or colorants - just the ingenuity of man and a medium that lends itself, if only temporarily, to the persuasion of chisels, saws, chicken wire and even carrot scrapers.

When the sculptures are finished, a panel of well-known artists and patrons of the arts serve as judges and present awards to the first, second and third place sculptures. Awards are also given for People's Choice, Kids' Choice and Artists' Choice. There are no cash prizes; the artists instead revel in the reward of hard work, forged friendships, freedom of artistic expression and the satisfaction of long hours of preparation that lead to the event.

Those coming to Breckenridge during Snow Sculpture week should be sure to check-out Breckenridge's world-class ski resort. Book three nights of lodging and three days of adult lift tickets and receive FREE an additional night of lodging and an additional day of adult skiing. Participation may vary. Package valid January 11 through March 14, 2009.

Call Breckenridge Central Reservations at 877-593-5260 or visit gobreck.com for more information on the Budweiser International Snow Sculpture Championships and January lodging packages.