Quebec Winter Carnival, Canada

---

 

What is the Quebec Winter Carnival?

The Quebec Winter Carnival is a celebration held every year in Quebec City, Canada. The Quebec Winter Carnival is currently thelargest winter festival in the world. Every year it brings together thousands of visitors to celebrate winter in Quebec with shows, activities, ice sculptures, parades, races, contests, entertainment and much more.

The Carnival is condensed into10 days of celebration in which the organization intends to develop a program based on major events, foster partnerships with other sectors in the field to stimulate new parallel activities and the optimize the Carnival’s reach within Quebec City. Furthermore, the Quebec Winter Carnivals operate under 4 core values: Festive Spirit, Professionalism, Innovation and Integrity.

 

 

The objectives of the Quebec Carnival are very simple and are toorganize a winter festival to generate a major economic, tourist and social impact with top-notch entertainment and to be considered as an iconic carnival in the city. In addition, this carnival is a celebration that involves both children and adults, as both have various activities and specific events.

Currently, the Quebec Winter Carnival has the support of severalprivate companies and public entities that make possible the realization of the dates. Some of the most important sponsors are: Loto Québec, Hydro Québec, Vidéotron, Ville de Québec, Sapporo, Garant, Le Concorde, Toyota, Beet, Port Québec, Pointcomm and many other sponsors.

 

.

 

When is the Quebec Winter Carnival

?
The Quebec Winter Carnival is held just like the rest of the carnivals, as it is celebrated before Lent; that is, between February and March.

The Quebec Winter Carnival will take place approximately from February 5 to February 14.

 

 

History of the Quebec Winter Carnivals

.
Although the tradition of carnivals is somewhat recent, the carnival festivities during the winter in Quebec City date back to the 19th century. In fact, the firstwinter celebration of carnival style was held in 1894. The Quebec Winter Carnival began when the inhabitants of New France, now known as Quebec, had a tradition of gathering to eat, drink and party.

Previously, the population used to face extremely harsh winters, so they decided to implement asnow festival project to warm up during this period. Since then, the festivities have been carried on uninterruptedly with the exception of periods during the First and Second World War and theGreat Depression of 1929. However, it was carried out without any kind of organization or a body to organize or regulate it.

In 1954, the carnival acquired a more defined organization in order topromote the economic development of the Old Capital, so a group of businessmen relaunched the festivities and chose Bonhomme as the event’s representative. The first edition of theQuebec Winter Carnival took place in 1955, becoming a must-attend event for Quebec City and the city’s winter tourist activity.

Today, the Quebec Winter Carnival is a major winter festival that continues to hold various events and activities during the city’s winter period. In 2019, the Carnival decided to reinvent itself and develop a program based on major events that fosters community partnerships to promote activities and optimize the visibility of the Carnival within Quebec City.

 

Where is the Quebec Winter Carnival

?
The winter carnivals are held in Historic Downtown Quebec, a neighborhood considereda Unesco World Heritage Site in the province and city of Quebec, Canada..

Quebec is a large province that is divided into 17 administrative regions. The province of Quebec is currently the second most populous province, with over 8 million people spread over a total area of 1,542,056 square kilometers.

 

.

 

How is the Quebec Winter Carnival celebrated

?
The city’s conditions make possible a great range of ice activities. At the Quebec Winter Carnival it features a wealth of activities: Human Bowling, performances, musicians and ice dancers, concerts, races, skiing, skating, food fairs and many other activities. However, there are a few events or activities that stand out throughout the celebration.

 

Opening Ceremony

.
On the first day of the Quebec Carnival, a grand opening party is held with various outdoor and indoor events. The venue hosts a host ofwinter games, including video game competitions and sports activities. It also features a ice bar and drink and food stations.

 

Nighttime Parades

.
Although the Winter Carnivals feature some daytime parades, the nighttime parades with draw much more attention. Night parades are usually held two days throughout the event. These events take place well into the night with a lot of live entertainment that goes on for about an hour. The parades feature a large number of dancers, circus performers, light shows, marching bands, illuminated floats and musical performances.

 

Canoe races on ice

.
During the Quebec Winter Carnival, teams from around the world compete in the finals of the ice canoe races. These teams consist of 5 athletes who compete by pushing their canoes across the frozen St. Lawrence River. Teams compete in 4 categories: Female, Male, Competitive and Sport.

Bonhomme

Bonhomme made his first public appearance in 1955 and is the official representative of the Quebec Winter Carnival. Bonhomme is a large white doll with ared tuque and a band of multicolored lines representing the heroes of Canada. He is the most important character of the carnivals and has several attractions. You can usually see him jumping, dancing or animating the festivities.

The mascotreceives the keys of the city as a tradition to commemorate the beginning of each Carnival. This celebration only confirms the authority and importance of Bonhomme as the king of Winter Carnivals. Today Bonhomme is one of Canada’ss symbols as far as international winter tourism is concerned.

 

Bonhomme Ice Castle

.
This is a themed park that is part of the winter carnival that is located in the center of Quebec City, in the Plains of Abraham urban park. The Bonhomme Castle offers many activities for children and adults. Within the grounds you can find ice fishing, hot tubs in arctic spas, sledding or dog sledding and some stands with drinks and meals.

For children you can findice cars and slides, sports activities such as hockey and giant bowling where they can enter big balls and go down a hill.

 

Ice Sculptures

.
On display in the castle areice and snow sculptures. These are large works of art of winter images, personalities, animals or any other type of image.

 

Workshops

.
Carnivals also offer some sculpture workshops so you can learn some basics. In addition, you can venture into this world of art and make your first ice sculptures.

 

Food fairs

.
The carnival has a wide variety of stalls and stores where you can try variouswinter dishes. In addition, some venues offer food inside the carnival. You can usually find a wide variety of winter dishes, sweets and winter drinks that you can try during the festivities.

 

Tips for going to the Quebec Winter Carnivals

.
If you want to spend your next vacation at the Quebec Winter Carnival, we recommend planning your trip in advance, making a travel itinerary and booking your preferred accommodations in advance. Also, remember to pack warm clothes, as much as you can, since the temperature in the city is always below 0.

 

Entrance

.
Generally, Carnival offers you a few options to access the carnivals. The most basic option is to purchase an “Effigy”, which means effigy and is a kind of necklace that you can use to access the grounds and enter most of the attractions. The price is 10 Canadian dollars if you buy it in advance and 15 if you buy it directly at the entrance. However, children under 12 years of age do not cancel tickets.

In addition, the organization offers a package that includes several services. For the price of 40 Canadian dollars, you can purchase the effigy, a hat, a glass of Caribou and a candy called taffy.

If you want to know more about tourism in this country I recommend this guide:.

 

Events in Quebec Winter Carnival

.
Generally, during the Quebec Winter Carnival, the grounds are divided into three major zones where most of the events occur: Loto-Québec Zone, Job’s Camp and Christie North. However, some events also occur in specific zones to facilitate the logistics of activities such as the ice canoe race.

 

Loto-Québec Zone

.
This zone is where events such as parades, ice sculptures, video game spaces known as “Pixel” and the various activities comprising Bonhomme. Generally, events are enabled from 10 a.m. to late at night.

 

Job’s Camp

.
In this area a variety of somewhat more rudimentary activities take place. In this part of the enclosure you can participate in activities such as axe throwing, ice and snow sculpture workshops, wrestling competitions, games of chance, snow sculptures, sports activities such as field hockey and spaces for musical entertainment.

 

 

Christie North Slope

.
This area is home to a variety of ice activities such as sledding down hills. They are usually divided into two categories: Christie Descent and Small Descent. The Christie Descent is much steeper and rougher, while the Small Descent is geared towards children and the whole family.

 

Alternate zones

.
On some days of the celebrations there are events that need certain types of environment in order to be held. For this reason the event hasother zones to carry out this type of events. During the event you can find the Bal des Glaces, which is a winter-themed dance, Fetes or party with musical atmosphere, Ice Skiing accompanied by the carnival mascot and the Canoe Race on Ice Ice.

 

.

 

Quebec Winter Carnival Parades

 

The Quebec Winter Carnival parades are called Hydro-Québec Parade and there are two in total. These parades feature electro and continuous rock music, colored lights, entertainment and shows, dances and impressive performances. It’s show is full of lights and features the participation of the carnival mascot.

In addition, the parade hasVIP areas with exclusive services in which include VIP bleacher seating, blankets and free bar service of both alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages.

 

Parade route

.

.

 

The carnival parades run from the Grande Allée, from Avenue des Érables to Honoré-Mercier.

 

 

What to eat at the Quebec Winter Carnival

.
The Quebec Winter Carnival allows you to experience a wide variety of sweets that are traditional across Canada. In addition, you have the opportunity to taste some drinks that are typical of the country.

One of the sweets that you can try at winter carnivals are the Beaver Tails. They are a kind of doughnut made with flour, eggs, yeast and milk. Once all the ingredients are incorporated, they are given an elongated shape simulating a beaver tail. The donuts are covered with different ingredients such as chocolate ganache, fruits or simply sugar.

One of the traditional drinks of the country is the Caribou. This is an alcoholic drink obtained by mixing wine, whiskey and maple syrup or sugar. There are also some versions with spices such as nutmeg, cinnamon and cloves. It can be consumed either hot or cold; however, it is common to drink it in small glasses made with ice.

Quebec City also offers you some options to eat or drink outside: L’Atelier Tartares & Cocktails, Chez Rioux & Pettigrew, Chez Boulay-bistro boreal, Le Lapin Sauté and Restaurant Légende. These places offer a wide variety of traditional dishes, fusion and alcoholic beverages.

 

.

 

Travel Insurance

 

From Carnavalesdelmundo.org we recommend to hire a good insurance to visit this carnival and to know the rest of the country. For being our readers we offer a 5% discount on all IATI insurances. Read more information about all insurance offers here:

 

 

What to see and do inside the Quebec Winter Carnival

.
Once you find yourself at the winter carnivals, you canattend the first formal event: the inauguration or opening ceremony. Here you can live a great winter experience with hundreds of activities, entertainment and music of the best quality to start your carnival festivities in the best way.

During the days of celebration you can be part of the various activities such as sports events, workshops and exhibitions of sculptures, food and drink fairs, canoe races, skiing events, dances, axe throwing and dozens of activities that take place in the carnival grounds.

Finally, you can’t miss either of the two parades that take place during the festivities. They are two great events full of entertainment of the highest level, floats, dancers, circus shows and a great light show that you definitely won’t want to miss.

If you don’t want to complicate things, here you can book interesting excursions in Spanish in this city:.

 

What to see and do outside of the Quebec Winter Carnivals

.
Some of the attractions you can find in the city are:

 

Parc de la Chute-Montmorency

.
It is a waterfall and lake. Inside the facilities you can do some tours or go into the store and have some chocolate and buy souvenirs. During the winter months the lake is completely frozen, creating an incredible icy view.

 

Place Royale

.
This is one of the most important squares in the city. Here you can find various sculptures and architectural works of great size and history. You can also find various stores, museums and galleries.

 

Basilique Cathedrale – Notre-Dame-de-Quebec

.
It is a basilica of great importance to the city that was founded in the year 1647. The building has been through several fires and rebuilt several times and was the first church to be elevated to a minor basilica. It is now recognized as a historic monument of Quebec.

Also if you want to visit museums and important buildings in this city we recommend that you book your ticket in advance through Tiquets: .

 

Safety at the Quebec Winter Carnivals

.

 

Quebec City is generally extremely safe and like any other large city has its small crime problems such as pickpocketing and tourist fraud. We recommend you to be vigilant at all times, keep your personal belongings in a safe place and avoid falling into the traps of strangers who approach you to offer you a service.

Also, there are a couple of neighborhoods that it would be a good idea to avoid, so we recommend you talk to a local or travel agency to find out which ones they are. Also, we recommend the following products to keep your items safe and secure:

 

 

Weather at the Quebec Winter Carnival

.
During the Quebec Winter Carnival festivities the weather remains quite cold, with temperatures ranging from -13 to -4 degrees Celsius. We recommend you pack warm coats, hats and a few extra pairs of socks.

 

.

 

How to get to the Quebec Winter Carnival

.

How to get there by plane

.
The closest airport to Quebec City is Jean Lesage International Airport, which receives a good number of flights mainly from other cities in the country and from the United States such as Montreal, Ottawa, Toronto, New York and Chicago. Once you are here, you can use the various means of transportation to get to the center of the city.

We recommend buying airline tickets through Kiwi.com or Skyscanner where they are usually cheaper. More information on this link to review Kiwi.com..

 

How to get there by train

.
In the city they have the VIA Rail Canada or the Amtrak to get to or from cities such as Toronto, Ottawa and Montréal. In addition, you can use the main station to head to other areas of the province.

 

How to get there by bus

.
Once you are at the airport, you can walk about 2 minutes to Aérogare. Once there, take a bus to the Dorchester stop. The journey takes about 50 minutes.

In addition, you have stations such as Intercar, Intercity Transit, Orléans Express, Greyhound that can take you to various regions of Canada and the United States.

 

How to get there by car

.
From the airport you can take the Autoroute 400 E to the city center. If you decide to take a cab, the taxi fare can range from $50 to $65.

 

Where to stay at the Quebec Winter Carnival

.

Booking.com

 

Hôtel Le Concorde Québec

3-star hotel 1.2 km from downtown Quebec City. Rooms feature TV, private bathroom with hairdryer and refrigerator. The hotel offers breakfast, swimming pool, bar, parking and free wifi.

 

Hôtel & Suites Le Dauphin Québec

3-star hotel 5 km from downtown Quebec City. Rooms feature refrigerator, microwave, coffee maker, computer with internet access and desk. The hotel offers swimming pool, parking and free wifi.

 

Unilofts Grande-Allée

.
3-star hotel 1.1 km from the center of Quebec City. Rooms feature rustic decor, TV, desk and bathroom with shower. Facilities offer spa, fitness center, parking and free wifi.

 

Le Clos Saint-Louis

.
3-star hotel 400 meters from the center of Quebec City. Rooms have private bathrooms, cable TV and air conditioning. The hotel features an antique aesthetic and is close to the old town and the Galerie D’Art su Cateau Frontenac.

 

LHotelQuébec

.
4-star hotel 8 km from downtown Quebec City. Rooms feature air conditioning, cable TV, coffee maker and private bathroom with shower and basic toiletries. In addition, the hotel has a swimming pool, bar, parking and free wifi.

We recommend you use Booking.com to book hotels at a good price, check more information here:.

 

Thank you for reading

.

If you liked this article and found it useful share it on your social networks or collaborate by inviting us for a coffee at Paypal so we can continue creating useful content. Click here to collaborate: