If you’re looking for a really unique family vacation idea, you can’t beat one of these best winter festivals around the world. These events draw massive crowds for a good reason. From breathtaking snow and sculpture displays to incredible parades, they’ll elicit “oohs” and “ahs” from even the most stone-faced teenager. Since most of these festivals take place over the course of several days, you can plan an entire vacation around them or just pop in on your way through the area. Check out a few of our picks for winter festivals that everyone should see at least once in their lives!
Related:5 Best Winter Family Vacations In The US
5 Best Winter Festivals Around the World
The Sapporo Snow Festival
The Sapporo Snow Festival takes place annually in Sapporo, Japan and lasts for 7 days, usually the 2nd week in February. The festival attracts millions of visitors each year and takes place over three different sites: Odori, Tsu Dome and Susukino. The event began in 1950 and the main feature of the festival is the hundreds of snow statutes and ice sculptures.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QPQuHuB0Blw
The Quebec Winter Carnival
The Quebec Winter Carnival takes place annually in Quebec City and lasts for 2 weeks, usually the end of January to beginning of February. The festival began in 1955 and features the International Snow Sculpture Competition in the Plains of Abraham within The Battlefields Park, the Snow Bath and the Ice Canoe Race on the St. Lawrence River. The main attractions of the festival are the parades, which take place during the day as well as at night, featuring Bonhomme Carnaval, the mascot of the festival.
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival
The Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival takes place annually in Harbin, China and last for anywhere from 6 to 8 weeks, usually starting around the 5th of January. The festival began in 1985 and features some of the largest ice sculptures in the world. The festival is known as the world’s largest ice sculpture festivals, spreading out over 600,000 square meters. This ice and snow sculpture festival attracts between 10 and 15 million visitors from around the world each year.
The Shetland Viking Fire Festival
The Shetland Viking Fire Festival takes place annually in Lerwick, Scotland and lasts for 24 hours, usually on the last Tuesday in January. The festival started in the 1880’s and marks the end of the yule season, featuring a procession of folks dressed in Viking gear and one person is chosen to be The Guizer Jarl. The procession features an average of 900 Guizers who carry around 850 torches and ends with the torches being hurled into the Jarl’s galley.
The Whitefish Winter Carnival
The Whitefish Winter Carnival takes place annually in Whitefish, Montana and lasts for 3 days, usually in the beginning of February. The carnival began in 1958 and includes a Penguin Plunge, torchlight ski parade, ski races, ice sculpting, hockey tournament and pie social. The main attraction of the event is the World Ski Joring Championships, which takes place the weekend before the main carnival, at the Whitefish City Airport.
While any of these winter festivals would be amazing to see, we’re partial to the Sapporo Snow and Ice Festival and the Quebec Winter Carnival! Although I must admit, the Fire Festival does look pretty spectacular, doesn’t it?
Wow, these are AMAZING! I’d love to go to any one of these festivals… I bet they’re magical!
Winter Festivals make me look forward to winter! I don’t really like the hassle that comes with winter and it’s good to have events to go to that will help you have fun and let loose!
These are all so awesome and it’s nice to see people taking advantage of the snow and the weather. It’s not always fun during the winter so a festival ought to lighten things up!
I’ve never heard of any of these! Living in Florida, I would LOVE to see at least one of these festivals!
It’s amazing what people can do with snow and ice. I don’t miss living in it, but it would be fun to visit.
Winter is such a beautiful season of the year that I love so much with so many festivals all around the world to make the Christmas & NewYear celebrations a bigger one as well. The Sapporo Snow Festival & The Quebec Winter Carnival sounds amazing among these and hoping we get a chance for one such festival this year!
I only wish we had snow and winter festivals in Louisiana. No I don’t like getting out in the cold much, but I love snow when we do have it and I do enjoy festivals.
I love those snowmen on the top of the page
Lots of great places. I want to see the Whitefish Winter Carnival. Sounds great!
I would love to experience any – if not all – of these winter festivals! Seriously considering a trip to Japan for the Sapporo Snow Festival, haha!
Oh my goodness these look so fun. I want to go to that snow festival.
This is awesome information. Good to know. I’m not much of a “get out in the winter” type of person (I live in Texas for a reason LOL) but yeah, hubby and I have been talking of doing more traveling.