Marc-Lautenbacher on Wikimedia
If you pay no mind to Canada’s winter season, you’re probably unaware of the dazzling 130-year history of the Carnaval de Québec. This festival, held annually in Québec City, takes place over a week-long period sometime in January or February.
The festival has been an ongoing success, with nearly 500,000 folks coming from all over the world to participate in the event.
But what makes this festival so special? Well, for one, it has a really good mascot. Any Canadian kid knows Bonhomme Carnaval - the smiling, seven-foot-tall snowman who’s representative of the festival. Bonhomme was created back in 1955, and is often seen wearing a red toque and an arrow sash - a finger-woven wool belt that comes from the Huron-Wendat Indigenous communities.
This year, the festival runs from February 6 to 15th, with a plethora of activities happening each day. The core events remain the same, with the construction of Bonhomme’s Ice Palace, ice canoe races, night parades, an ice sculpture gallery, and snow baths. What are snow baths, you ask? Well, it involves jumping into piles of snow in your bathing suit!
This year will also have musical performances, a giant ball pit, a pancake breakfast, and plenty of family-fun activities for the little ones. They also have DJ sets and late-night parties that pander to an adult-only audience.
Above all else, the Carnaval de Québec is a celebration of Canadian culture that everyone should visit at least once in their lives.
A History Of Carnaval
The Québec Carnaval officially started in 1955, technically marking its 2026 return as its 72nd anniversary, but the celebration has roots dating back to the 19th century. The first major carnaval took place in 1894, but wasn’t an annual event until after World War II.
Mayor Wilfrid Hamel was the driving force behind Carnaval, as he hoped to further the city’s economic development. The result was an off-season celebration that accumulated tens of millions of dollars for the city during the harshest part of the winter.
Bonhomme was also created by the festival's founders, most notably Louis-Philippe Plamondon, Wilbrod Bherer, and Louis Paré. As the story goes, he was brought to life by the festive spirit of Québec locals, and was called to bring joy and laughter as ambassador to Carnaval. His status as the festival's symbol was cemented in 1955, when Mayor Hamel gave him the keys to the city.
On his about page, the city says he weighs in at 400 pounds of packed snow.
Possibly the best part about Carnaval is the price. A base ticket for the festival is just under $36 CAD, or just under $27 in USD. They also offer a full carnaval pass for $71 CAD, which includes access to all of the festival sites as well as coupons for merch, food, and drinks. Children under 12 get in free to the main festival grounds. For a week-long celebration, this is quite the steal.
To learn more about the Carnaval de Québec, you can visit their website here.
