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Dillon Ice Castles likely to return, but location could change pending park renovation

The popular Dillon Ice Castles brought thousands of people to this mountain town, but there were concerns about their future due to damage to the town's park.
A magical wonderland made entirely of ice opened this winter in Dillon. After a few years away, Ice Castles returned to the state this winter season to bring Coloradans an icy playground to explore.

KUSA – Though the aftermath of the Dillon Ice Castles left behind some damage to the Town Park, they will likely return to Summit County next year pending a decision by the council that’s likely to come down next month.

“While there was some damage to the park, we’re actually doing a major park project and we’re anticipating they’ll come back,” said Kerstin Anderson, the director of marketing and communications for the Town of Dillon.

GALLERY | PHOTOS: Colorful frozen ice castles in Dillon, Colorado

That park project is slated for next summer, and should the erosion issues that prompted concerns this year persist, that’s when the future of the popular tourist attraction could be in flux, Anderson said.

Crews are working on projects to help with drainage issues in the Town Park this year, which Anderson said could potentially mitigate some of the negative effects of the melting ice.

The Ice Castles hope to return to Dillon this season, spokesperson Melissa Smuzynski wrote in an email to 9NEWS, but plans have not yet been solidified.

PREVIOUS | Ice castle under construction in Dillon

Smuzynski said work is underway to secure the necessary permits.

Anderson said the Town Council hopes a representative from the Ice Castles will be at an Aug. 7 meeting where their future will be discussed.

“Its been a great partnership for us, and we saw a lot of media value and just awareness of Dillon through the partnership,” Anderson said.

RELATED | Ice Castle does wonders for the Dillon economy

She said potentially moving the Ice Castles to another location in Dillon is a possibility.

This was the inaugural year for the Dillon Ice Castles, and Anderson told 9NEWS the town invested $50,000 into the project, which created an uptick in business for the bowling alley and all six restaurants in Dillon.

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