SNOW Guide: Winterfests
By Hilary Meyerson
Photo at right: Yellowstone Ski Festival Tent City. Photo courtesy of West Yellowstone Chamber of Commerce.
Sure, summer usually gets top billing for festivals, fairs and frivolity under the sun. However, winter makes a strong showing this year with lots of Northwest Winter Festivals and Carnivals. Put on your down coats and pull on the snow boots and hit these great winter gatherings.
The cold can’t dampen the spirits when there are snow sculptures, fireworks, and, of course, winter snow sports. Here’s a listing of a few of our favorite places to celebrate winter in the Northwest.
Yellowstone Ski Festival
Nov. 20 –24, West
Yellowstone, Mont.
A Nordic skiers dream. Clinics, races, presentations and more. Only for the Nordic enthusiast—a great chance to ski in one of the most beautiful settings in the West. www.yellowstoneskifestival.com
Leavenworth Bavarian Ice Festival
Jan. 18 – 20, Leavenworth, Wash.
The famous Leavenworth lights will be twinkling. Come for snow sculpture, tug-o-war, a Frisbee sweep and an ice cube scramble for the kids. A must see is the “Smooshing Contest” where teams of four, strapped tandem style onto 8-footboards, try to glide down the town’s main street. www.leavenworth.org
Rossland Winter Carnival
Jan. 25–27, Rossland, B.C.
Canada’s longest running winter carnival, and they have great traditions to prove it. The bobsled race down Spokane Street is always a hit. Don’t miss the wine tasting, pancake breakfast, snow sculptures and fireworks. Also, two words: snow volleyball. www.rosslandwintercarnival.com
McCall Winter Carnival
Jan. 25 – Feb. 3, McCall, Idaho
This year will be the 48th annual festival. Don’t miss the snow sculptures! Other events include a snow bike race and snowshoe golf and evening fireworks.
www.mccallchamber.org
Whitefish Winter Carnival
Feb. 1–3, Whitefish, Mont.
A great torchlight parade, this festival comes with its own unique mythology—it involves the Norse god Ullr and some Yetis and there’s an annual attempt to steal the Queen of the Snows. Even better, there’s a beer barter where folks bring offerings to attempt to barter for 52 cases of beer. www.whitefishwintercarnival.com
Hoodoo Winter Carnival
Feb. 9, Sisters, Ore.
Now in its 33rd year, the Hoodoo Winter Carnival draws folks from across the region. The favorite event is the Dummy Downhill—dummies attached to skis or sleds that are set up for spectacular crashes. www.hoodoo.com/events
Fur Rondy
Feb. 22 – Mar. 3, Anchorage, Alaska
The granddaddy of winter festivals in Alaska, and the ceremonial start of the Iditarod. See our Nov./Dec. issue for a full report. www.furrondy.net
Ski Joring in Sandpoint, Idaho. Photo courtesy of Bonner County Daily Bee.
Ski Joring in Sandpoint, Idaho. Photo courtesy of Bonner County Daily Bee.
Sandpoint Winter Carnival
Feb. 15 –24, Sandpoint, Idaho
A rail jam, downtown bonfire and the usual festivities – but the big draw is ski joring, a Scandinavian tradition where horses pull skiers at breakneck speeds for thrilling entertainment. www.sandpoint.org/wintercarnival
Wild West Winterfest
Feb. 16 –17, Bozeman, Mont.
Two days of real Western living. It’s a cure for cabin fever: come out for the chili cook-off or the trail horse competition. For more indoor pursuits, check out the quilt show. www.wildwestwinterfest.com
Snow fairies at the 2012 Bend Winterfest.
Snow fairies at the 2012 Bend Winterfest.
Bend Winterfest
Feb. 15–17, Bend, Ore.
Because it’s Bend, there’s great food and wine, and of course, a snowboard rail jam. Also the music lineup is usually noteworthy. www.bendwinterfest.com
Kootenay Coldsmoke Powder Fest
Feb. 22–24, Nelson, B.C.
Three days of heaven for backcountry ski fans. Clinics, demos, films, races and fun. A pile of cool events for freeheelers and freeskiers and everyone else. At the end, a King and Queen of Coldsmoke are crowned. coldsmokepowderfest.com
2013 BP World Ice Art Championships
Feb. 26 – Mar. 24, Fairbanks, Alaska
An international ice carving event, but a community event as well. Events for the whole family. More than 45,000 people come to see the 100 ice artists’ creations. www.icealaska.com
White Pass Winter Carnival
March 2–3, White Pass, Wash.
This Northwest tradition features a giant ice snow castle at the base area. Bring the whole family for fireworks, a torchlight parade, and live music. Proceeds benefit the Children’s Miracle Network and the volunteer ski patrol. www.skiwhitepass.com
Ski Antony Lakes Snow Blast
Mar. 9, North Powder, Ore.
A family fest for all age groups including treasure hunts for the kids, a slope side jump competition, and a dummy downhill race. The night tops off with a catered dinner, a fun band, and fireworks over the mountain. A classic celebration of winter in the Northwest. www.anthonylakes.com
TELUS World Ski and Snowboard Festival
Apr. 12–21, Whistler, B.C.
A 10-day celebration of snowsports, music, arts and mountain life. This festival brings huge crowds for the amazing ski and snowboard competitions and the daily free concerts. The doggy parade brings out the four-footed fans. www.wssf.com
Did we miss your festival? Please let us know and we’ll get it posted on our event calendar at www.OutdoorsNW.com. Send to Events@OutdoorsNW.com
