Hot Times at The World's Biggest Winter Carnival - Office du tourisme ...

Friday, March 9, 2018
Hot Times at The World’s Biggest Winter Carnival
February 10, 2018February 13, 2018 Anne & Mike

It was blizzarding in Quebec City; the forecast was calling for ten inches of snow and a high temp
of 8°F. You’d think this would’ve been a day to stay home, but no, that’s not how the Quebecois
roll. They bundle up the kids, put grandma on a ski-wheelchair (no joke!), and pack their Caribou
mulled wine because it’s time to carnaval!! The Carnaval de Quebec tradition started in 1894
with some dudes just looking to get silly in the snow, then by 1954 it was an annual tradition
across the city. Today it’s the world’s biggest winter carnival, rocking for 17 days with over 200
activities and 500,000 party-goers. We heard about it when researching the best winter festivals
for the “Snow & Ice” chapter of Ultimate Journeys for Two, and put it on our calendar for the
following year. Come January 2018, the time had come to fly into the UNESCO World Heritage
City with our best long johns to enjoy winter like only the Quebecquois can.

Quebec City from Above

We checked into the Hilton Quebec, the official hotel of Carnaval, and were greeted by Richard
the concierge…a man in his 60s, adorned in almost as many Carnaval commemorative pins.
“Bienvenue au Québec. You are going to love this festival,” he said in an endearing French
Canadian accent. “From your room you can see Bonhomme’s ice palace, the Nordic village, the
walls of the Old City, and the St. Lawrence River where the ice canoe race happens.” The wall-
to-wall windows were like a 3-D map to plot our four days of fun.

Old Quebec

Before we were swept into the whirlwind of festivities, we got our bearings with a tour of the
old city and a crash course on its 400+ years of history. French explorers saw this spot, where
the river narrows between the steep cliffs, as the perfect place to start a colony. Working with
the foreboding terrain, they built walls around what is now the only fortified city north of
Mexico. We entered the ramparts, and truly felt as if we were in France, with all the charm of
narrow cobblestone streets, 18th-century homes, grand churches, and trendy cafes—but with
even friendlier people and more English spoken. The city had fully embraced winter, with miles
of groomed cross-country ski trails in the central park and a dozen ice skating rinks set up
around town. Sure it was chilly, but people were happy and that alone makes you feel warmer.

Bonhomme’s Ice Palace

Now to get to the heart of the Carnaval: Bonhomme’s Palace. A giant snowman wearing a sash
and doing leg-kick dance moves, Bonhomme is the King of Winter and Carnaval. The Quebecois
relate him to Santa Claus, but better because he only makes trips to their province and sticks
around for more than one night. We entered his 1,800-ice-block palace and each corridor was
an interactive spectacular of lights, music, and games. His backyard was the ultimate playground
with human foosball, log races, floor hockey, First-Nations crafts, and activities for all ages.

The Grand Allée

The festivities continued up the Grand Allée, a main thoroughfare taken over by ice slides, fire
pits, musicians, curling rinks, and an international ice sculpting competition. We were here in
pure sunshine and then again in a blizzard; the same volume of people was out smiling ear to
ear.

Lumberjack Games

A theme that ran through the Carnaval was Quebec heritage—from First Nations, French
pioneers, lumberjacks, fur traders, to hockey players. In addition to impressive multi-media
displays and a mechanical moose, Camp à Jos got old-school with ax-throwing, wood cutting,
and taffy made with nothing more than maple syrup and snow.

Village Nordik
From the pioneer activities at Camp à Jos to the Village Nordik, Carnaval is also a light-hearted
course in winter survival. At the Port of Quebec, Canadian kids and Californians alike had the
chance to hang out in igloos and try their hand at ice fishing. Get a bite and the Old Port Market
will cook it for you with a side of hash browns. (Or if you’re like Anne, you freak out when you
catch one and try to put it back as fast as you can).

Eat Well, Stay Warm

They say eating a hearty meal is essential to staying warm. (You don’t need to twist our arm.)
We took this opportunity to try poutine at Le Chic Shack, fondue at Shaker, and a five-course
tasting menu at Restaurant Légende. All were delicious but Légende was easily one of the best
vegetarian dining experiences we’ve ever had. Let’s start with our martini…it arrived in a bell jar
filled with maple smoke. Sipping gin with hints of pine and smokey maple in the air, we were
transported to a campfire in the forest. We sampled tofu that was as creamy as custard and
eggplant caviar that could have been Beluga. Each item on the seasonal menu was inspired by
their Quebecois roots (if it’s not local, they don’t serve it) and offered sustainable dining at its
finest.

The Ice Canoe Race

Remember how we said, we featured the Carnaval de Quebec in Ultimate Journeys for Two? The
Ice Canoe Race may have been the event that won us over. We timed our trip to ensure we
could attend this one-day bonanza, where 60 teams storm the semi-frozen St. Lawrence River.
Kitted up in dry suits, carbon fiber crew boats, and crampons, they scoot along the ice until they
hit the “open water.” It was a battle of icebergs, strong currents, blizzard conditions, and

borderline insanity. Crazy or not, these guys deserved a cheering section so we joined thousands
of fans for this uniquely Canadian spectacle.

The Night Parade

As Saturday night fell, the parade sparked up. Six hundred performers, 18 floats, 7 dance
companies, and 11 animators brought winter scenes to life. To stay warm through the festivities,
we took the local tip…drink Caribou. Everyone has their own twist on this mulled wine recipe;
we went with a mélange of cinnamon, maple syrup, orange peel, and Cabernet Sauvignon. With
a fire in our belly and music in the air, we danced alongside the duchesses, lumberjacks,
icebergs, and more fanciful characters until Bonhomme blew a kiss goodnight.

Le Monastère Detox
After four days of partying, it was time for a detox at the Le Monastère des
Augustines…Canada’s oldest monastery and hospital turned into a wellness hotel. We walked
into a modern glass building, only to find it was encompassing a 17th-century stone facade. Our
floor was renovated with contemporary suites, though if you’d like a taste of monastic life you
can stay in the original dormitories, complete with centuries-old antiques. We woke up early for
yoga and a healthy breakfast, taken in silence. To uphold their tradition of healing and service,

the Le Monastère is a non-profit that benefits caretakers, social workers, and families with ill
loved ones.

North America’s Ice Hotel

With rejuvenated body and mind, we were ready to take on our last adventure: a night in a
world-renowned ice hotel. Made of 70 million pounds of snow and ice, Hôtel de Glace stays
between 23-27°F at all times to keep the walls, furniture, and art from melting. We were a bit
nervous as we went into our orientation on surviving in a below-freezing suite, but felt better
when we heard the routine involved an exclusive cocktail hour at the ice bar and reveling in the
hot tub. By the time we walked through the arches of the Hôtel de Glace, we were 100% on
board. The walls were sculpted with fanciful scenes of circus animals, acrobats, and jugglers. An
ice slide had kids squealing with glee and a cocktail bar serving cheeky drinks like the “Ski-Doo
Accident” and “Sex on the Ice” had the adults giggling just the same. It is too dazzling to fully
describe, you’ll just have to watch our video tour to grasp a fraction of its magic.

You’ve gotta love while most people in the north are counting the days until the spring thaw,
Quebec comes up with more and more reasons to fall in love with the cold.

Upcoming Dates for Carnaval de Quebec: Mark your calendars for February 1-17, 2019 and
January 31-February 16, 2020 and find more winter carnival info here.

The Quebec tourism board invited HoneyTrek to be their guest; however, all opinions are our
own.

16 thoughts on “Hot Times at The World’s Biggest Winter
Carnival”

    •

        Debbzie Leksono
        February 11, 2018 at 10:22 am

        ski-wheelchair is definitely new for me! I even had to google just now, to see how it
        looks like, lol. I’ve always love snow and winter carnival. Well considering I live in a
        tropical country of Indonesia where the closest thing I can touch is ice cube. I’ve been
        only to Vancouver in Canada and now Quebec is on top of my bucket list. Thanks for

        sharing!

o

    Anne & Mike Post author

    February 11, 2018 at 4:33 pm

    Once you put on good coat and gloves, you will be dazzled by Quebec in winter. Carnaval
    is the best way to get into the snowy spirit.

•

    Ami Bhat
    February 12, 2018 at 4:56 am

    I love this place for its unusual set of things to do. Some for you to do like the whole ride
    on the ice and some that you can enjoy seeing others do. The canoe race really sounded
    like fun and I admire those people who braved that cold. Fantastic reading about it.

    o

    Anne & MikePost author
    February 12, 2018 at 10:27 pm

    We loved the quirkiness of the activities too. Human foosball, mechanical moose, ice
    canoe racing…who thinks of this stuff lol. Such fun!

•

    Samantha Sparrow
    February 12, 2018 at 10:28 am

    What an amazing and fun winter carnival! I’m not too afraid of the cold, having visited
    Oslo in the Winter was about as cold as you can be, so I’d be well up for exploring the
    festival in the snow. I love the names of the cocktails too – definitely worth treating
    yourself with after a chilly day!

o

    Anne & MikePost author
    February 12, 2018 at 10:22 pm

    Samantha, if you can handle Oslo, Quebec will be cuddly warm in February. Plus with so
    many fun activities, comfort foods, and happy peeps, the only thing you think about is it
    the beauty of it all.

    Lydia Smith
    February 12, 2018 at 7:15 pm

    Proudly Canadian but I haven’t stepped into Quebec yet. I guess it’s high time I started
    paying more attention to what I have in my hometown. I’ve seen the winter carnival ad
    on TV but I wasn’t expecting to be this big and fun. My grandma will gladly like to be put
    in a ski-wheelchailer. Detoxing was a good idea and I like the theme behind Let
    Monasteres des Augustine’s. I’m really impressed with Quebec and I’ll try this out one of
    these festivals.

    o

    Anne & MikePost author
    February 12, 2018 at 10:17 pm
    Lydia…if you are already a proud Canadian, you’re heart will burst for Quebec! It’s
    magical. Sounds like you should head to Carnaval next Feb with your grandma

•
    Siddhartha Joshi
    February 12, 2018 at 11:34 pm
    Haha…I love the spirit of Quebecois, especially the grandma bit! The city certainly looks
    magical in winters with snow as well as the winter carnival! The Ice Canoe Race sound

    interesting…I didn’t know there were ice canoe at all

o

        Anne & MikePost author
        February 13, 2018 at 11:37 pm

        Absolutely, Quebec-ers aren’t gonna stay inside for months on end…they get after it!

•

    Anita Hendrieka
    February 13, 2018 at 3:11 am

    Quebec sure knows how to do winter well! I would love to check out the Ice Hotel, looks
    super interesting! Although I am a summer girl, I do love good winter scenery from time
    to time. I didn’t know about the Ice Canoe either! How incredibly fascinating…

•

    Rosie
    February 13, 2018 at 3:55 am

    OK, so i hate the cold but this looks too magical to miss. I guess a tummy full of Caribou
    would see me through. I’d love to stay in the ice hotel and try the ice slides there and on
    the streets. I think the ice fishing sound great. No chance you see me throwing my fish
    back though! Fish that fresh is bound to be seriously delicious.

    o

    Anne & MikePost author
    February 13, 2018 at 11:42 pm

    I’m from Los Angeles, if it makes you feel better. You got this! Plenty of fun, beauty, and
    Caribou to distract from the cold. Especially since it sounds like you’re a natural at ice

    fishing

•

    Christopher
    February 13, 2018 at 4:08 pm

    Those red Muskoka sitting around a camp fire is so funny and so Canadian lol. Quebec
    City is so high on my list. After just returning from a New Years in Montreal I think I can
    handle being outside all day in Quebec. Besides it is well k own here in Canada that the
    Winter Carnival is thee winter carnival of Canada. I really gotta get out there for that.
    Maybe next year for New Years!!!

    o

    Anne & MikePost author
    February 13, 2018 at 11:38 pm

    Thee winter carnival indeed! You gotta go next year…it’s over 17 days, find a few to
    enjoy the fun!

•

    anto
    February 15, 2018 at 1:48 pm

    Wow that frozen St. Lawrence River looks amazing! I’ve been to Quebec City in the fall
    but I’d love to visit in the winter, too. This winter carnival seems like the perfect time, so
    much going on there!