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Travel West guide to unique destinations, sight-seeing, history and
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QUEBEC
WINTER CARNIVALE
Frosty Wonderland in Quebec City
Carnivale Dates: January 27 to February 12, 2012
Mardi
Gras in the warm south is a colorful parade and party time, in Europe
the pre-lent festivals of the Catholic calendar, an excuse for
beer drinking, funny costumes and tie clipping. In the northern latitudes,
when a coat of frosty winter white snow blankets the Plains of Abraham,
it is time for the Quebec Winter Carnivale. Thousands of fun seeking
visitors flock to the capital of French speaking Canada to play and
party for
two weeks in the world’s largest winter carnival. The fortnight
of events feature dog sled races, cross-country skiing, ice-sculpture
competitions, parades both day and night, snow sled rides, outdoor music
shows, and partying into the night in the brisk breath cloud air.
The
Quebec Winter Carnival takes place in the open plains across from the
provincial parliament building, between the stone arch gates to the
old city and the military fortress citadel (see Citadel
Military Museum).
First begun in 1894, and held sporadically in Quebec City in various
locations over the decades, officially organized in 1955, the Quebec
Winter Carnival has grown with new activities, larger events and the
long tradition of the center piece of the Ice Palace, a castle carved
of ice blocks, now lit in glowing colors as the sun sets and the dancing
begins. The Ice Palace is built every year for the festival as the home
of the festival’s presiding mascot and ruler, Bonhomme, the jolly
snowman, with his signature red cap and arrowhead sash. Bearing a striking
resemblance to the Pillsbury Doughboy, Bonhomme’s presence is everywhere,
greeting at the airport on arrival by plane, ice-skating with the kids
on the public ice rink at the Place D’Youville, a balloon on the
parade, and dangling from the neck of every festival goer. The miniature
Effigy of Bonhomme serves as the ticket pass to the festival and collector
piece with each successive year. His arrowhead sash is a First Nations
Indian tradition, combined with the red knitted cap of the French settlers
along the St Lawrence, for a unique symbol of Quebecois cultural heritage,
and jovial perpetual grin.
Tickets to
the Quebec Winter Carnaval are $12 and can be obtained
in various locations around town or at the festival gates kiosks. Some
of the sites,
events and activities of the festival are free, but twelve bucks Canadian
for several days and nights worth of entertainment is a bargain
as amusements go. Looking for stuff to do with the family in the post-holiday
wintery
days of January without having to ski – if you don’t want
to - head up to Quebec. If you do want to ski, the slopes are about an
hour away, by the new Ski Bus shuttle from downtown hotels to Mont Sainte
Anne and the Massif.
A
large swath of the historic Plains of Abraham where the battle which
turned Quebec from French control to English (see
Quebec City Musee de Fort) are
transformed into an outdoor winter amusement park with various carnival
style family-themed outdoor activities, ice-sleding, Ferris wheel,
rope gliding and the center-piece of the snow sculpting competitions
where
blocks of ice and snow near the size of a country cottage are carved
and shaved into amazing clever shapes. Even the famed bikini snow
bath – the
Bain de Neige – entertains the bigger children among us.
The
plains snow course also features the ski and dog sled races with
the track also
head into the old town with start and finish lines in from of the
Chateau Frontenac. Many public and private parties, shows and galas
are held at locations
across the city. The opening and closing ceremonies are held in
front of the Ice Palace with throngs of participants, his honor Le
Bonhomme
Carnival, and the mayor of Quebec. The biggest official gala party
is the Mascarade Ball de Bonhomme with up to 400 invited guests
at the Grand
ballroom of the iconic Chateau Frontenac hotel (see Chateau
Frontenac Tour).
The
main parade through the city is a northern version of Macy’s,
with floating character balloons, floats, marching bands and costumed
characters. Some of the balloons and characters are familiar, to non-Canadians,
but many are perhaps new to visitors to the north, from cartoons and
kiddie shows on Canadian broadcasting, but no less entertaining, especially
for young children who will find any floating creature magical. Aside
from the official Carnivale activities the Grand Allee street nearby,
begins night-time dining, dancing and drinking into the wee hours. (see
Grand
Allee Nightlife).
Check
out city views from the L'Astral tower revolving restaurant of the Loews
Le Concorde Hotel.
Venture down into the lower quarter for gourmet dining. Take a ride
on the ferry across the St
Lawrence,
cutting through the crunching ice of the river. Beyond the city, the
slides and slopes of the Valcartier winter adventure amusement park
offers snow thrill slides on inner-tubes from high towers (see Valcartier
Vacation Village). The Hotel de Glace (see Canada’s
Ice Hotel), one of only
a few in the world offers a unique overnight stay experience, or the
Wendake Premieres Nations (see Wendake
First Nations Hotel) is one of
the few tribal owned and operated hotels and gourmet restaurants in
North America. A number of hotels around the city offer special carnivale
packages
during the festival. © Bargain
Travel West
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Quebec
Carnaval
These articles are copyrighted and the sole property of Bargain Travel West and WLEV, LLC. and may not be copied or reprinted without permission.
See these other articles on Bargain Travel West:
BASILICA SAINT ANNE DE BEAUPRE - QUEBEC
MOULIN PETIT PRE – COTE DE BEAUPRE
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