What do you do when the last hurrahs of the holiday season have passed? Party on, of course, at winter’s finest festivals. Here are 10 member picks that are blanketing destinations from China to Canada with snow, ice, music, and art.
Harbin Ice and Snow Festival
Harbin, China, January 5-February 5
hailun says: “Harbin is called the Ice City, and is rightly famous for its magnificent annual Ice and Snow Carving Festival held in January and February. It is the coldest place I have ever endured, but I loved it immensely!”
Carnaval de Québec
Québec City, Canada, January 30-February 15
Ben the Grate says: “The canoe race is the most famous event at Carnaval, where brave men in primitive canoes plunge into the icy St. Lawrence River in a race to the other side. They must leap into icebergs and portage their canoes to the other side, often falling into the frigid waters. It's really exciting.”
Snow & Ice Brugge
Bruges, Belgium, Now through January 11
Emma the Brit says: “The Snow and Ice Sculpture Festival is a must-see for anyone visiting Bruges during the winter season. It brings together sculptors from across the world who specialize in this medium, putting on a spectacular display of ice and snow as you've never seen it before.”
Celtic Connections
Glasgow, Scotland, January 15-February 1
Drever says: “The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is now one of Scotland's most prestigious musical venues, and is a much-accepted landmark in the city center. It really comes into its own during Glasgow’s annual celebration of ‘Celtic Connections’ during January. It is the biggest winter festival of its kind in the world and features artists from around the globe alongside the best Scottish talent in 12 venues across the city.”
Niagara Falls Winter Festival of Lights
Niagara Falls, Canada, Now through January 5
BigTommy says: “It's a beautiful, underrated festival. It's really fun for children to attend. There are many events and games, colorful parades, festival fireworks, and sparkling light displays.”
World Ice Art Championships
Fairbanks, Alaska, February 24-March 22
RPH/RPT says: “We went to the competition for a few hours almost every day. We really enjoy watching the sculptures take shape and trying to figure out ahead of time what they are going to be.”
Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival
Hwacheon, South Korea, January 5-27
Sun-Shine says: “The freshwater mountain trout sancheoneo is endemic to Gangwon-do Province. Every winter, the city of Hwacheon organizes a regional cultural festival to celebrate the abundance of mountain trout in its waters. The Hwacheon Sancheoneo Ice Festival is a unique wintertime celebration that draws over one million visitors every year.”
International Snow Sculpture Championships
Breckenridge, Colorado, January 12-February 1
JGierlach says: “Here's how it works: The ski resort makes the snow and volunteers from the town stomp it into large wooden boxes. Then, teams from all over the world create the sculptures all week long. I didn't realize how profound this relatively simple idea was until I went back to work. My vacation mode faded back to reality and I found myself daydreaming about the sculptures.”
Sapporo Snow Festival
Sapporo, Japan, February 5-11
eugenebeh says: “The festival consists of a great many snow and ice sculptures of varying sizes concentrated at the Odori, Susukino, and Makomanai display sites, all accessible by subway. The Odori site features a collection of large and small snow and ice sculptures as well as works by international teams, Susukino has exclusively ice sculptures, while Makomanai has the fewest but the largest snow sculptures.”
Sundance Film Festival
Park City, Utah, January 15-25
Go Girl! says: “My favorite part of the festival is what they call 'Park City at Midnight,' which provides a late-night treat for film enthusiasts. Aimed at those die-hards still hungry for more after a day's film-going, this series provides kinetic, surprising, and occasionally outrageous concoctions throughout the week. It's one big party in the snow.”
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