If you love Paris in the springtime, then you’ll adore Quebec City in the wintertime, where, for 17 days, the party never stops. Quebec’s Winter Carnival is the largest in the world, attracting more than one million people.
I was one of those fortunate people to arrive in this fortified city on the first day of the 2015 Winter Carnival. I spent the morning sledding down an ice chute, viewing the impressive ice castle, made from 1600 blocks of ice, eating maple syrup on snow, and playing a human game of Foosball. Top DJs from Montreal and Toronto played a mesmerizing mix of hip-hop and electronica, while locals carried cane-like red sticks filled with a potent drink called Caribou, made of whiskey, red wine, and maple syrup, adding to the dancing frenzy. When Bonhomme, the popular snowman and revered host of the festivities started to boogie, the crowd went wild.
For those of us who choose to embrace winter in all its snowy charm, there’s no better event than the Winter Carnivals. Try these six for starters:
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Fur Rondy Festival, Alaska
When: Feb 26 – Mar 6.
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Nobody celebrates winter better than the great state of Alaska. The highlight of Rondy is the reindeer race, where herds run through the streets of Anchorage. There’s also a Snowshoe Softball Game and an Outhouse Race.
Cedarburg Annual Winter Festival, Wisconsin
When: Feb 20 – 21.
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More than 20,000 people attend this popular festival each year. Watch the Bed and Barrel races, where a person lying in bed is pushed across the ice, the Dog Weight Pull, to see which dog can pull the most weight, and a good ole chili cook-off.
Stowe Winter Carnival, Vermont
When: Jan 16 – 30.
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New England’s best-loved winter event, celebrating its 42nd year in 2016, features a round of snow golf at the Stowe Country Club, snow volleyball, Super G races on Stowe Mountain, and a large village block party.
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