From axe-throwing and winter wrestling to ice canoe races and the jolliest
mascot in the world, there's no event on earth quite like the Quebec Winter
Carnival, an annual festival held in Quebec City, Canada. Here, the only thing
cooler than the freezing weather are the drinks, the snacks, and the endless parade
of shamelessly Canadian festivities... oh and also there is an actual parade.
Running annually for the past 66 years, the Carnaval de Québec is an epic
celebration of French-Canadian culture and one of the best times to visit the
city... So grab your toque, your red flannel and
layer all the way up because I'm taking you on a journey to one of the most
magical events that Canada has to offer. Be sure to hit that like button if
you're excited and let's cue that cheesy intro!
What's up, smarties? Christina here from HappyToWander.com. If you're new around
here, this channel is usually all about traveling Europe but today I'm whisking
you away to the French Canadian province of Quebec, where maple reign supreme. For
more travel videos just like this one be sure to hit subscribe. Before we get
started, it's time to pick this week's postcard winner. Every week I give away a
postcard to someone who comments so congrats to Olivia, this week's winner...
and if you want a postcard of your own, comment below with your favourite
activity showcased in this video. Now let's get to it -
here are ten unmissable things to do at the Quebec Winter Carnival!
Number one is to try your hand at all sorts of fun Canadian activities. One of
the best perks of Carnival is that the purchase of one ticket known as an
effigy gives you entry to most of the festival's activities, and when it comes
to these delightfully Canadian activities,
you are indeed spoiled for choice. From trying your hand at axe throwing to
racing downhill in a tube, there are plenty of fun experiences and games to
take advantage of, including a mini golf course naturally with hockey sticks and
a net... and while not included in the effigy price, the Toboggan Slide au 1884
near Chateau Frontenac offers one of the most scenic toboggan rides in the
country. It's $3.00 per person but completely worth it for the views,
especially if you can convince a friend to drag you up. A second must do during
the Quebec Winter Carnival is sampling all the delightful French-canadian
treats... the most iconic treat of the festival? Maple taffy, which consists of
hot maple syrup poured over snow then rolled up with a stick to make a
delicious maple candy. It's an experience that's one in Eh million!
Sweet tooths should also head straight for the bright-red BeaverTail truck in
the Zone Loto-Quebec where you'll find one of the country's most beloved
desserts. These quintessentially Canadian treats are slabs of fried dough topped
with yummy toppings ranging from simple sugar to decadent combos of fruit
spreads and candy. I warn you, they can get a little messy
and they do wreak havoc on your waistline as well but really who's
counting? On that note if you want to completely abandon those New Year's
resolutions, Carnaval offers plenty to eat from fried doughnuts to fondue
filled baguettes, you'll probably never go hungry, but you might get a little
doughy. The number three must do of the Quebec Winter Carnival is to take
advantage of the festival's awesome open-air ice bars where you can get all kinds
of spirits and concoctions served to you in ice cold glasses made of actual ice.
These ice glasses are the perfect vessel for various drinks and can be found in a
few locations around the festival site at Le Camp à Jos and the Zone Loto-Québec.
One must try classic is Caribou, a quintessentially Québécois drink made up
of red wine, hard liquor, and some spices and sweeteners to amp up the taste. The
result is a sort of mulled wine concoction served hot or cold but maybe
best in a glass of actual ice.
You can also indulge in a Bonhomme Cosmo which is a shot of vodka flavoured with
special red red syrup or for something a little warmer there's also a hot drink
known as the Ponce de Carnaval which comes in a lovely souvenir mug and
offers a few sips of glorious relief from the cold. From ice bars to ice
palaces, the number four must do is to explore Bonhomme's Ice palace, an impressive
structure of snow and ice that takes thousands of ice blocks and weeks to
create. This majestic palace is an icy home fit for our ultra cool mascot with
plenty of awesome activities to take advantage of. You can slide down on a
full-on ice slide, play a competitive team maze game called Labyrinth or enjoy
the immersive magic of PIXEL, a new experience for 2020 that brings you
through a time warp of old-school games and tunes, but of
course nothing compares to number 5 which is meeting the legendary Bonhomme in person.
Bonhomme is an enduring symbol of Carnaval, found all over on signs,
merchandise, and souvenirs. Ater making his first appearance in 1955, over 60
years later, Bonhomme looks better than ever with an epic Instagram account to
boot. In addition to appearances at special Carnaval events like the parade,
he also hosts multiple meet and greets each day where you can get your own
photo taken with him and even score some one-on-one time.
Don't hog him though. Needless to say he is one popular guy!
Our sixth Quebec Carnaval must-do is enjoying the vast entertainment program.
For the entire week and a half of the festival, you'll find special performers
taking the stage including folk dancers and musicians and even winter wrestling,
which really put on quite the show.
I personally felt cold just watching them, but if you do get too cold, that's no
problem because there's always option number seven - cozying into a nice warm
Chalet. You'll find two Chalet locations on the Carnaval festival grounds where
you can warm up with a drink, some food or even cozy in for a performance.
There's the Chalet Unibroue in the Camp à Jos with a simple menu of warming treats and
the SAQ Bistro which even has a cozy fire and a full Bistro menu with classic
comfort foods like poutine and french onion soup.
Your eighth must do at the Quebec Winter Carnival is to watch one of the most
iconic events of the festival, the ice canoe races on the Saint Lawrence River.
I warn you, you might get tired just looking at them...
but you can always rest up with another low-key, icy must do - number nine: admire
all the ice and snow sculptures. You seriously will not believe what these
sculptors can do with ice and snow. If you like me struggle to even draw a
triangle, the sheer artistry and detail of these will blow you away.
Besides Bonhomme's iconic palace, you'll also find various ice sculptures around
town particularly in the Petit Champlain neighborhood where a cartoon themed
promenade of ice sculptures can be found for 2020.
You can even book special workshops to make your own or watch the pros work
their magic live which brings me to number 10 ... Last but not least your final
must do is to watch the nighttime parade which takes place on each Saturday of
the festival. From folk dancers and hip hop dancers to appearances from Bonhomme
himself, this is one dazzling parade with impressive floats that are well worth
freezing for.
So let me know in the comments if you'd ever like to visit Carnaval for yourself
and if so which activity you'd like most. Thanks for watching, smarties! If you like
this video don't forget to Like and subscribe for more travel videos just
like this one. Until next week - byeeeee!!!