The stage is set for a winter Wonderland in the village this February, when Cooperstown will host the 2006 New York State Snow Sculpting Championships.

Scheduled for Feb. 16-19 at Lakefront Park, the event features 11 teams in a 72-hour sculpt-a-thon in which three people per team will hand carve a 12-ton block of man-made snow into a design of their choice.

"We're very excited to have the 2006 Snow Sculpting Championships," said Cooperstown chamber of commerce director Polly Renckens. Renckens couldn't give out many specifics about the event, as final arrangements were still being made, but she said full details will be going out to local and national news organizations early next week.

Michael J. Robbins, CEO of the organization hosting the event Friends of Sculpting Inc., said the snow will be made on site by tournament sponsor Windham Mountain. He said the blocks are hexagonal in shape and measure 10 feet high.

He said teams are required to carve during peak tourism hours of 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, but that they usually work for much longer.

"Usually they only carve until midnight on the first night," he said Tuesday in response to e-mailed questions. "They carve until 3 to 4 a.m. on the second night and most will stay out most of - if not all - of the final night." He said most team members work on the sculpture at the same time and each puts in about 50 to 60 man hours.

Robbins said there will be one team from Cooperstown, consisting of Eileen Murphy, Alexandra Siracusa and Bailey Gardner.

He said Cooperstown has a two-year contract for the snow-sculpting championship with an option for a third, and that they look forward to holding the event in the village.

"Our organization is looking forward to working with your community to make this the best state competition ever," he said. "We are delighted with the professionalism of your community and its organizations and the promptness in which they operate"

Renckens said she expects a local economic impact of more than $1 million. Last year's event in Glens Falls drew an estimated 60,000 people over a three week period, she said.

While the highlight of the weekend is the Snow Sculpting Championship, the overall weekend programming includes several components and is being called SnowFest.

According to a fundraising letter sent out earlier this month, there will be cross-country skiing and tubing at Glimmerglass state park, skating at the Village Gardens and Cooper Inn Park, craft, puppet and magic shows and horse-drawn carriage rides around the village.

The letter also said a sleigh-rally is planned at Brewery Ommegang and events will be held at the Farmer's Museum. The annual Fenimore Quilt Club show will also take place that weekend.

"It will be a very, very full weekend," Renckens said.

Admission to the sculpting contest is free. The judging will be at noon Sunday, Feb. 19. Visitors are asked to cast ballots for the "People's Choice Award," which will be awarded at 3 p.m. the same day.

For more information, check out the FOSI website at www.snow-ny.org or the chamber of commerce's website at www.cooperstownchamber.org.