If one thing is true about Minnesotans, it’s that we’re resilient. We could cower in the face of snowstorms and subzero temperatures, locking ourselves indoors to hibernate for the entirety of the winter months—but we don’t. Instead, we choose to celebrate winter, proudly embracing the beauty of our climate and the sense of camaraderie it brings to the community.
Courtesy of SPFHF
Nowhere is that winter spirit more alive than the highly anticipated Saint Paul Winter Carnival, a beloved annual tradition that will return for its 140th year from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1.
In true “Minnesota Nice” fashion, the event started as a somewhat passive-aggressive response to East Coast condescension: When a group of newspaper correspondents from New York visited Minnesota in 1885, they likened the state’s winters to Siberia, noting that Minnesota was unfit for human habitation. To prove them wrong, a group of St. Paul business leaders and community members banded together to organize a winter festival that highlighted the beauty of the season—showing the world that Minnesota winters are to be celebrated, not feared.
The Saint Paul Winter Carnival kicked off the following year, in 1886, making it the oldest winter festival (and one of the oldest civic celebrations) in the country. Organizers worked with the City of Montreal, whose winter carnival was suspended due to a smallpox epidemic that year, to get the event off the ground. The team brought over Alexander Hutchinson, an ice castle architect from Montreal’s festival, to design the very first ice palace—standing at 106 feet tall, the massive structure consisted of over 20,000 ice blocks and cost $5,210 to complete.
“Back then, it was a whole lot easier to build ice palaces… I think they just had a lot more people that were willing to build [them],” explains Lisa Jacobson, executive director of the Saint Paul Festival & Heritage Foundation (SPFHF). “Now, it’s a very expensive venture to take.” In 2018, the creation of the ice palace cost $800,000. The Carnival only features ice palaces during select years; just 42 of them have been built to date.
Courtesy of SPFHF
Another borrowed element from the Montreal Festival was the “Legend,” which has since become the guiding story of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, featuring well-known characters like King Boreas, Queen Aurora, Klondike Kate, and the Vulcan Krewe. “It’s kind of like a play that lasts a year, and new people get to play the parts of the Legend every Carnival,” says Jacobson.
Written by Frank Madden in 1937, the Legend depicts the theme of winter versus spring. As the story goes, King Boreas (the King of the Winds) claimed St. Paul as his winter playground and threw a glorious 10-day carnival across the realm with his royal court. All was well until the final day of celebration, when Vulcanus Rex (the God of Fire) and his Krewe stormed the Ice Palace. In the interest of peace and goodwill, Boreas returned to dwell among the Gods of Olympus and spring’s warmth prevailed over St. Paul.
Photo by Macy Harder
Many of the Winter Carnival’s festivities align closely with this Legend—the annual celebration starts with the Royal Coronation, where the new characters are revealed, and continues with the King Boreas Grande Day Parade, Vulcan Victory Torchlight Parade, and the Overthrow of King Boreas & Fireworks Show. But the volunteers involved typically play these characters year-round, participating in “festival exchanges” to bring joy to other communities; most Royal Families are making over 300 appearances per year, Jacobson explains.
While the Winter Carnival still hangs onto many of its time-honored traditions, after a century and a half of operations, many changes—and challenges—are bound to occur. “I think there’s a lot to be said that we are still here 140 years later. It did not come easily,” says Jacobson. “I’ve heard of times where they ran out of money, and things got really doubtful on whether they could continue to do the Winter Carnival.” When times were tough, the community rallied together to ensure the event could survive financially, she explains—a true testament to the event’s importance in St. Paul and beyond.
The Carnival has survived two world wars, the Great Depression, a global pandemic, and myriad other social and economic changes, as local passion for the tradition lives on. “Hearing some of [the volunteers’] stories of being little kids, and their parents bundling up and taking them to the Winter Carnival, then getting involved once they were old enough to volunteer… that doesn’t just happen,” says Jacobson. “Some of them have been involved for 50 years and they still love it.” In November, organizers from the SPFHF launched a “Remember When” campaign for attendees to share their fondest Winter Carnival memories and photos in anticipation of this year’s event.
Courtesy of Visit Saint Paul
For the 140th anniversary, visitors can expect all the typical family-friendly, indoor and outdoor events they know and love—like ice- and snow-sculpting competitions, live music, and jigsaw puzzling—plus some extra additions. “Many of the historical winter carnivals had a lot more sports activities going on, so we’re bringing back more sports this year to honor that legacy,” says Jacobson. These sports activities will include a Fat Tire Bike Ride through Rice Park on Jan. 24, the Fire & Ice Winter Walk & Run through the State Fairgrounds on Jan. 25, the Vulcan Vs. Royal Guard Hockey Classic on Jan. 25, and several recreational activities that range from walk-up snowboarding to ice fishing. In addition, the Carnival is offering limited-edition merchandise to celebrate the milestone anniversary, including a special members-only coin.
As for the future, Jacobson hopes to continue pushing the Winter Carnival in a direction that keeps up with the changing times and community. “One of my goals since I got here was that everyone could look at pictures and the events we do and see themselves at the Winter Carnival,” she says. “If we do it in a way that’s enriching and welcoming, then I feel like we’re doing it right.”
Courtesy of Visit Saint Paul
