Carving a Niche in a Festival of Snow

Colorado

The 1998 International Snow Sculpture Championships, Jan. 6 to 11 at the Riverwalk Center in Breckenridge, will feature teams from Austria, Canada, England, Italy, Singapore, Switzerland and the U.S., as well as the defending champs from Russia. Each team, working on 12-foot-tall, 20-ton blocks, has a theme. The Swiss block will depict a grasshopper. The sculptures usually last a week after the judging. Contact the International Snow Sculpture Championships, P.O. Box 1567, Breckenridge, CO 80424; telephone (970) 453-6018.

Florida

Art Deco Weekend, Jan. 16 to 19 in Miami Beach, is the largest public event in the world devoted to the Art Deco era. Last year’s event drew more than 400,000 fans and collectors. Activities include trolley, walking and bicycle tours of the Art Deco Historic District, vendors from around the U.S. at a lively street festival, lectures and films. Most events are free. For more information, contact the Miami Design Preservation League, P.O. Box 190180, Miami Beach, FL 33119-0189; tel. (305) 672-2014.

Massachusetts

The New Bedford Whaling Museum’s 24-hour Moby Dick Marathon begins at noon on Jan. 3 and runs through the night. (Last year’s reading ran a little long, at 25 hours, 12 minutes.) Readers, including Sen. Edward Kennedy, change every 10 minutes. The event is held in the museum’s Lagoda Room, where a half-scale whaling ship and whaling murals set the mood. Contact the New Bedford Whaling Museum, 18 Johnny Cake Road, New Bedford, MA 02740; tel. (508) 997-0046.

New Mexico

Santa Fe’s second annual WinterFiesta, Jan. 29 to Feb. 8, is a citywide celebration, with special events scheduled for galleries, restaurants, hotels and museums. Downtown hotels will host themed presentations: Hispanic Arts at La Fonda, Native American arts at Hotel Santa Fe and winter sports at the Hilton and El Dorado. The festivities begin on the plaza with an evening balloon show, an ice sculpture contest and edible art show in downtown galleries. Contact the Santa Fe Tourism Alliance, 304 Calle Oso, Santa Fe, NM 87501; tel. (800) 777-2489.

Washington, D.C.

Martin Luther King Jr.’s Birthday Observance has returned to the site where it was first held, the steps of the Lincoln Memorial. The event, Jan. 15 at 11 a.m., includes choirs from local schools, a wreath-laying and the playing of a recording of King’s famous “I Have a Dream� speech. Contact the National Park Service, National Capital Regional Office, 1100 Ohio Drive, SW, Room 112, Washington, DC 20242; tel. (202) 619-7222.

Thailand

The small village of Bo Sang, near Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, will hold its annual Umbrella Fair Jan. 16 to 18. Stalls will line the main street, selling paper umbrellas and other handcrafts. Also planned: the selection of Miss Bo Sang and awards for the finest umbrellas. For more information, contact the Tourist Authority of Thailand, 3440 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 1100, L.A. 90010; tel. (213) 382-2353.

Events appears monthly.