The Original Snow Festival
Wed, 01/21/2026 - 3:22pm
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By:
Rachel Riley TPD News Editor
In 1971, the first-ever Snowfest, originally called the Snow Festival, was held in Cresco, marking the beginning of a now 55-year tradition hosted by the Cresco Driftrunners Snowmobile Club. Despite bitter cold, fierce winds, and challenging weather conditions, the inaugural event laid the foundation for what would become a beloved winter celebration drawing racers and spectators from across the Midwest.
The Times-Plain Dealer of Cresco reported that the festival’s opening weekend faced significant obstacles. Sub-zero temperatures combined with 40-50 mile-per-hour winds forced the cancellation of Friday night’s entire program, several races, a snow safari, and the torchlight parade. The harsh weather dampened spectator turnout, with only 300 to 400 people braving the conditions to watch Sunday’s races from the fairgrounds grandstand.
Despite these setbacks, the event was deemed “successful” by Bud Combs, project chairman of the Snow Festival. He noted, “In view of the terrible weather, I feel this was very successful. We didn’t have the spectators we had planned on, but we sure had the racers.” Indeed, 117 races were run over the weekend, featuring cash purses and two trophies, including many sanctioned by the United States Snowmobile Association (U.S.S.A.).
Racers competed in a variety of classes, including four stock classes ranging from 1-250cc to 360-400cc, five modified classes, three youth age groups, and a women’s-only competition limited to stock snowmobiles. Every winning snowmobile was meticulously inspected after each race to ensure compliance with stock or modified class rules, underscoring the event’s commitment to fair competition.
The Cresco Driftrunners also hosted snow safari family trips along over 150 miles of guided and marked trails, although one safari was canceled due to weather.
One memorable moment from the first Snowfest was the Polaris snowmobile giveaway, won by Jack Gallagher of Harmony. Ironically, Gallagher was snowed in at his home and unable to pick up his prize.
The event drew participants from six states, filling local motels to capacity well over a month in advance. The Cresco and Howard County communities were called upon to assist in housing out-of-town guests, reflecting the festival’s early impact on the region.
While the first Snow Festival ended in the red financially due to weather-related cancellations, the profits were originally intended to improve winter recreation facilities for Cresco’s youth. Fortunately, even with the struggles that happened in 1971, the festival persevered and grew over the decades, becoming a highlight of the winter season and a testament to the resilience and passion of the Cresco Driftrunners and the wider snowmobiling community.
