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Things to Do in Canada 252
Winter Festivals
Good morning!
Did you know? Carnaval de Québec is the world's oldest and largest winter festival, officially starting in 1894 as a pre-Lenten carnival. This seasonal festival is all about embracing the joys of winter and celebrating good times with food, drinks, events, and adventures.
We actually experienced this winter festival in 2020, just weeks before the country went into lockdown. It’s wild to think about because we were only starting to hear about something called “COVID-19”, and just weeks later, life would change in such a dramatic way.
But with that behind us, this is one winter festival we highly recommend everyone experience at least once in their life. However, there are many winter festivals around the country, offering a fun way to celebrate the colder months. Learn more about some of the best Canadian winter festivals in the 252nd edition of the Weekly Goose!
Happy Travels!
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Canada’s Top Winter Festivals to Heat Up the Cold Season
Canada doesn’t just survive winter — we throw on a toque, grab a hot drink, and celebrate it like champs. From gigantic ice palaces to all-night art parties, here are 16 of the best winter festivals worth bundling up for this season!
Meeting Bonhomme at Quebec’s Winter Carnival.
1. Carnaval de Québec (QC)
No winter festival list would be complete without the oldest and largest of them all. This is the ultimate winter party, complete with ice palaces, parades, and Bonhomme being Canada’s most charismatic pile of snow.
2. Winterlude (Ottawa–Gatineau)
Skate the Rideau Canal, devour maple taffy, and marvel at ice sculptures so detailed they’ll make you question your career choices.
3. Montréal en Lumière (Montreal, QC)
Food, lights, music, and Nuit Blanche turn the whole city into one giant, sleepless art crawl.
4. Festival du Voyageur (Winnipeg, MB)
Fur-trade history, snow sculptures, music, and maple taffy on snow. Winnipeg goes full French-Canadian, and it’s fantastic.
5. Winter Festival of Lights (Niagara Falls, ON)
Millions of twinkling lights brightening up one of the world’s most famous natural wonders. Winter dates just got an upgrade.
6. Chinook Blast (Calgary, AB)
Calgary’s winter comeback story: glowing art installations, live performances, and city-wide celebrations powered by that warm Chinook magic that makes Calgarians forget it’s actually February.
7. Silver Skate Festival (Edmonton, AB)
A perfect mix of sport, culture, and art. Think ice carving, winter sports, fire sculptures, and a massive folk-tale-inspired snow garden that feels like stepping into a frosty storybook.
Enjoying the beautiful ice carvings at the Ice Magic Festival.
8. SnowDays Festival (Banff, AB)
Towering ice sculptures, mountain views, and winter activities that make you feel like you’re starring in a national park commercial.
9. Ice Magic Festival (Lake Louise, AB)
World-class carvers create frozen masterpieces beside one of the most photographed lakes on Earth. It’s icy. It’s epic. It’s peak Canada.
10. Jasper in January (Jasper, AB)
A beloved Rockies tradition featuring skiing, food events, nightlife, and stargazing in one of Canada’s best dark sky preserves.
11. Rossland Winter Carnival (Rossland, BC)
Western Canada’s oldest winter festival, complete with street skiing (yes, they build a rail park downtown), parades, and mountain-town revelry.
12. Yukon Sourdough Rendezvous (Whitehorse, YT)
A northern classic with quirky competitions, can-can dancers, and a whole lot of frontier fun.
13. FROST (Regina, SK)
Multiple festival zones across the city are packed with skating, sculptures, food, rides, and big community energy.
14. Snowking Winter Festival (Yellowknife, NT)
A giant snow castle built by hand, complete with slides, concerts, and events inside an ever-changing icy fortress. Truly one of the North’s coolest traditions.
15. Frostival (Fredericton, NB)
Atlantic Canada’s winter pride-fest: outdoor adventures, arts events, foodie fun, music, and a whole lot of cozy charm.
16. Dartmouth Ice Festival (Dartmouth, NS)
Ice carving, live entertainment, light installations, and waterfront winter vibes.
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Want to see what the largest winter festival in the world is like? Check out our video from Quebec’s Winter Carnival!
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