The 5 Best Winter Carnivals Across America With Fun Festivities And Seasonal Spectacles

While summer brings festivals, winter brings carnivals. The earliest winter carnivals were designed to counter the glum associations with wintry weather, filling the cold streets with fun activities and cheerful people. Fireworks, ice palaces, and hot cider have become staples of winter carnivals across the United States. Some events add their own special twists, as broad in range as incorporating Yeti myths to racing reindeer in the street.

With so many towns and cities participating in some form of winter celebration, we chose five that are the most reputable, unique, and travel-friendly. We also selected those that have some kind of cultural or historical significance that you won't find anywhere else, whether that be those showcasing a town's local lore or hosting some of America's most stunning ice sculptures. Though many of the biggest winter carnivals are set in popular cities, you might be surprised to find some in destinations that otherwise wouldn't have crossed your mind as somewhere to visit.

For the best winter carnival experience, keep a few factors in mind. First, remember that most of these gatherings pack dozens of activities into a short window of time. This means you'll have to time your trip carefully. Additionally, many events are free to enter but likely have some ticketed attractions. When getting ready for the winter revelry, pack some hand warmers and put on layers to stay warm, too.

The history of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival alone is enough to land it a spot among the country's best winter carnivals. Add on top of that massive ice palaces, a snow maze, and a mythological battle that undergirds the festival's tradition, and you can see how there's really no winter carnival like Saint Paul's. As a local guide wrote in a Google review, this celebration is "one of the coolest winter events to attend in downtown Saint Paul with live music, food/drink vendors, a large warming tent and fun activities scheduled throughout the duration."

It all began in 1886 as a way to rebuff accusations of Minnesota's inhospitable winters. The year before, a newspaper equated Minnesota winters to Siberia. The state decided to embrace its cold reputation and turned it into a spectacle so impressive that people would want to come specifically for winter. The first carnival featured "a grand ice palace as a centerpiece," per the official Saint Paul Winter Carnival website, and since then, frosty structures have become a traditional display sporadically featured over the years. The 2026 carnival will feature an ice park made up of ice sculptures in lieu of an ice palace.

Festivities are framed around a legend of a royal family (representing winter) being attacked by rivals called the Vulcans (representing spring). Events run for 10 days at the end of January. Most of the carnival's attractions will be set at Rice Park, with a few special competitions and events taking place at nearby locations. There's tons of free things to do during the festival's duration, including snow sculpture-viewing at Vulcan Snow Park, watching the Grande Day Parade, and catching a Saint Paul Civic Symphony concert. Plus, the local metro system offers free transit to the carnival.

Skiers need look no further than Northwest Colorado's largest city, Steamboat Springs, for a celebration that caters specifically to their interests. Taking place in early February, the Steamboat Winter Carnival started in 1914 to provide respite from winter malaise. The carnival has gained notoriety over the years for a daredevil tradition that marks its grand finale: A skier called the "Lighted Man" wears a pyrotechnic suit that shoots off fireworks as he careens down the slope. The tradition began in 1936 by a local named Claudius Banks, and today, Banks' son carries on the yearly Lighted Man role, with a suit that's rigged with over 30 roman candles and a dozen sky rockets.

Located west of the Mississippi, the winter carnival takes on a Western aesthetic. Influenced by ranching culture, the weekend Street Events (a highlight of the festival) feature children on skis being pulled by horses down Lincoln Avenue, as jumps and obstacles pepper their way. Another activity rodeo-lovers will want to tune for involves the horses pulling adults riding shovels through the snow. For thrill seekers, there's also the Night Extravaganza, during which skiers jump through rings of fire and the Lighted Man takes off. 

There are plenty of more low-key activities, too. Those traveling with kids can join the S'more Family Fun Night (complete with a dancing tent and bonfire) or watch the costumed performers of the ski ballet. At night, the carnival culminates in a grand fireworks show. To partake in events, you have to buy a Winter Carnival button. The button gives you access to most of the activities, plus free skiing each day of the carnival.

With less than 10,000 residents, the town of Whitefish isn't a booming hub by any stretch, but it does boast a storybook downtown and access to the stunning natural wonders of Montana. Those wonders are perhaps most vividly on display during the annual Whitefish Winter Carnival. A disco party, selfie scavenger hunt, and ice-cold water plunge are just some of the offbeat events that define this event named the "wildest winter festival in the West" by Out There Outdoors magazine. The celebration is headlined by a grand parade, which is themed around a rather bizarre myth.

The legend is centered around the Norse god Ullr, a deity associated with winter activities like skiing. Whitefish's take on the god is that he eventually found a home there and met a cohort of Yetis. When humans began to settle the town, Ullr is said to have helped the new community ward off the Yetis. To honor the god and commemorate this stand against the Yetis, Whitefish established an annual carnival. Today, carnival-goers often dress up as Yetis and members of the Ullr court. One of the festival's events even features the coronation of the year's chosen King Ullr.

While the Whitefish Winter Carnival doesn't have a specific entrance fee, some activities require you to purchase a carnival button. Events take place throughout the end of January and early February, though the main festivities are on the first weekend of February. Those festivities include the parade, the Penguin Plunge (during which participants jump in the freezing waters of Whitefish Lake), and a scrumptious pie social.

In the first week of February, Dartmouth College hosts a winter carnival with ski racing, snow sculptures, and polar plunges. The Dartmouth Winter Carnival first took shape in 1910 as a way to promote the university's winter sports teams. Early on, the event gained a boisterous reputation, with a 1920 issue of National Geographic dubbing it the "Mardi Gras of the North." The celebration even inspired the 1939 film "Winter Carnival" (which was screened at the 2025 Dartmouth Winter Carnival). Every year, the extravaganza has a different theme; 2025's was "Jurassic Park," and the 2026 theme will be "The Blizzard of Oz: Wicked Cold."

Dartmouth College and its namesake seasonal event can be found in Hanover, the picturesque New Hampshire town connected to the Appalachian Trail and roughly two hours by car from Boston. While the carnival as a whole is open to the public, there are a few events designated for Dartmouth students only. One of the public events you won't want to miss is the Winter Fun Day, which features an all-ages bonanza of skating on Occom Pond, plus sledding and communing around fire pits. There's also an ice sculpture contest. The public can view these creations and vote on which should win the people's choice award. Additionally, sports lovers will want to see Dartmouth's ski team race in playful rivalry against visiting collegiate teams.

If you want to see a winter carnival at its most maximalist, you'll have to head to America's northernmost outpost: Alaska. That is where Fur Rendezvous (or Fur Rondy) — a 12-day extravaganza of over 20 events — takes place at the end of February. Branding itself "the nation's premier winter festival," the Fur Rendezvous draws in close to 100,000 attendees each year, according to Smithsonian Magazine. Speaking to the publication, local radio host Bob Lester described the carnival by saying: "It's like Mardi Gras and spring break on steroids in Alaska."

Beyond the event's sheer size, what makes Fur Rendezvous so alluring is its roster of eccentric events. One of those events is the Running of the Reindeer, which might be the most Alaskan spectacle possible. During the run, participants (some donning costumes) race along downtown Anchorage's 4th Avenue with no goal other than to sprint faster than live reindeer (kind of a subarctic take on Spain's Running of the Bulls). Another headline-making activity during the Fur Rondy is its outhouse race. To participate, you have to construct your own outhouse, which is evaluated for its viability before being greenlit to compete. The outhouses, with an occupant-rider inside them, are then maneuvered by teams to reach the finish line.

The festival is free to attend, with the exception of a few events that require tickets. Notably, the Running of the Reindeer requires you to pay, since the event doubles as a Toys for Tots fundraiser. Events take place in various locations around Anchorage, though the carnival's headquarters are at the intersection of 4th Avenue and D Street (about a 15-minute drive from the Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport).

During the creation of this guide, dozens of winter carnivals that take place around the U.S. were reviewed and researched using information from tourism boards, travel guides, and national publications. We defined a "winter carnival" as a multi-day, open-to-the-public seasonal celebration held after the end of autumn and before the beginning of spring. These events also had to feature activities beyond just a parade; after all, we've already covered those in this round-up of the best free holiday parades in America.

Our selection of top winter carnivals factored in each one's history, creativity, and acclaim. Additionally, news coverage and reviews from past attendees helped us weigh each option's reputation and overall value. Can't get enough of the seasonal fun? Find even more places to visit with this list of the 11 best winter festivals for unforgettable memories.