Quebec Winter Carnival - Activities and Attractions

Activities and Attractions

The most famous attractions of this winter festival are the night and day Carnival's parades led by the Carnival's Master, Le Bonhomme Carnaval through the Upper City, decorated with lights and ice sculpting items.

Although numerous public or private parties, shows and balls are held across the city, some of them set up outside in the bitter cold, and are testimony to the Québécois' fabled joie-de-vivre. The other main events are:

• The mascarade ball of Ball de Bonhomme with up to 400 participants at the Gran ball-room of the Château Frontenac.
• The opening and closing ceremonies taking place at the Ice Palace before thousands of participants, Bonhomme and the mayor of Quebec.
• The various outdoor sport races (snowboarding, canoe on ice, snowshoes, hockey, dog-sledding, etc., some of them part of World Championship tournaments) in the city and around.
• The free outdoor public banquets (brunch, breakfast, etc.).
• The Canadian, Québécois and International snow sculpture contests on the Plains of Abraham. The main setting of the Carnival is the Plains of Abraham. The Plains are a public city park and stay open for free for leisure, including snowshoeing and cross-country skiing trails, during Carnival time. Part of the Plains around the Citadel is transformed into an outdoor winter amusement park with various family-themed activities, including the display of the three main snow-sculpting contests (Canada's provinces, Quebec's regions, International) and the traditional bikini snow bath event (bain de neige).

The outdoor dance parties are set at the Ice Palace with other events.

Also worth noting:

• Kiosks and other outlets in the city sell the Bonhomme effigy tag for $12 that gets you into most of the Winter Carnival events, although some of them are free.
• Most commercial main streets are decorated and several bars and restaurants throughout the city set up a winter patio made of ice sculpting in front of their establishment.
• Bonhomme short for bonhomme de neige, "snowman") is the official ambassador of the festivities, the castle lord of the Ice Palace. Bonhomme is a large snowman sporting a red cap, black buttons and a ceinture fléchée. Bonhomme was ranked in 3rd place of the world's top ten creepiest mascots by The Magazine.
• Drinking the hot alcoholic beverage Caribou to keep warm.
• The public auction is a fundraising event in aid of the Carnival. This auction features many goods and services donated for silent auction and live auction.

About feasts and restaurants:

• The Business Leaders' Luncheon, organized by the Québec City Chamber of Commerce.
• The Calgary Stampede Flap Jack Breakfast. In 2008, the carnival-goers were served by Prime Minister Stephen Harper.
• The 'Restaurant Partners' Campaign is a 179-day promotion during which Québec City restaurants offer customers a special menu for a fixed price throughout the Carnival (including appetizer, soup, or salad, a main course, and a dessert).

About races and tournaments:

• A sleigh race in which drivers and their horses take part in a single- and double-harness race on the Plains of Abraham.
• The Dog Agility Competition on Snow brings together around 60 people and their dogs to compete in an outdoor obstacle course in the Old city narrow streets
• An Ice canoe race on the St. Lawrence river.
• The Québec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament (not officially part of the Carnival's program since 1977).
• The Snowboard World cup in Quebec City (not part of the Carnival's official program).

Also not part of the official program of Carnival but worth a visit or a stay, the Quebec city unique Ice Hotel (Quebec) open every year from early January to late March with its bar, night club, exhibition galleries and ceremonial church.