Glow at the Gardens Pumpkin Carver Bios

Jess Parrish (Longmont, Colorado)  
Lead Artist 

The owner of Cool Hand Ice Carving, Jess has worked as a professional sculptor since 2007 and as the lead artist for Glow at the Gardens since its 2015 inception. His main mediums are ice and snow, but he also works with wood, clay, straw, sand, bronze, fruit and vegetables. He competes each year in worldwide ice and sand sculpting competitions and has won numerous awards, including first place in the Ice Art World Championship in Fairbanks, AK (2014). He was a competitor on Food Network’s “Cake Wars: Christmas Challenge” (2016) and a participant at the First International Ice Carving Championship in Mongolia (2024).

Jess and his team have been the recipients of many accolades since the inception of Cool Hand Ice Carving, including first place on the Travel Channel’s “Best in Ice,” (2018) and the silver medal at the International Snow Sculpting Championship in Breckenridge, CO (2023).

Lkhagvadorj Dorjsuren “George” (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)

One of the top chainsaw carvers in the world, George has traveled the world and competed in some high-stake contests, producing sculptures that are worthy of being placed in parks or even museums. During the summer, George is busy carving larger-than-life wood figures and during the winter he creates stunning ice sculptures. This is George’s fourth time participating at Glow at the Gardens. Unfortunately, there are no pumpkins in Mongolia, that's why he’s here, to focus on his skillset and create masterful pieces that are showcased during this event.

Munkh-Erdene Tsagaan (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)

For the last 20 years, Munkh-Erdene has sculpted wood, ice, snow, sand and pumpkin. He has won multiple first-place awards for wood and ice carving worldwide, one of which was here in Colorado. Munkh-Erdene won first place at the “Breckenridge International Snow Sculpture Championships” in 2018. Munk-Erdene is also the director of the Mongolian National Ice Carving Association. His largest work is called “Dinosaur Park” and measured 7 meters tall and 15 meter long—that is 23 feet x 49 feet—an amazing showcase of his skills! This is his sixth time participating in Glow at the Gardens.

Uugantsetseg Enkhtaivan (Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia)

Uugantsetseg is a professional carver and painter with a degree in Fine Arts and excels in using ice, snow, sand and pumpkin as raw materials. She has been in carving competitions for over 10 years and consistently earns top finishes. She has placed in seven international competitions, receiving recognition for her skill and artistry. Her skillset is unmatched and her work shines through Glow at the Gardens.

Kenny Rathbun (Walsenburg, Colorado)

Kenny Rathbun is a wildlife artist. Focusing primarily on wood carving, Kenny brings a total of 25 years’ carving experience. Kenny is the owner of The Bear Spot in Walsenburg, Colorado specializing in chainsaw carvings. As the company name implies, he uses his exemplary skills to create amazing bears of all shapes and sizes. His craftmanship is passed down from generations and Denver Botanic Gardens is appreciative Kenny is sharing his talent and expanding into pumpkin carving. This is Kenny’s second year at Glow at the Gardens.

Cody Perkins (Denver, Colorado)

Born and raised in Denver, Cody has been sculpting with snow and ice for over a decade. He recently earned first place in a snow sculpting competition, showcasing his precision and creativity. When he’s not working with snow or ice, Cody channels his energy into pumpkin carving—a passion he’s had since childhood. In 2024, he earned a medal in a local pumpkin carving competition. This is Cody’s second year at Glow at the Gardens, and his imaginative work is a highlight and can be seen throughout the event. 

Giselle Poserio (Long Beach, California)

Giselle is a self-taught carver who was inspired by the artistry of fruit carving. Giselle is the sole founder of G’skreations, a fruit carving catering business in Long Beach, CA. Giselle is returning for her sixth year at Glow at the Gardens.