With the crowning of this year’s Klondike Kate, the 130th annual St. Paul Winter Carnival is nearly upon us. For those of you who aren’t familiar, the St. Paul Winter Carnival follows the story of King Boreas and his royal court that bring winter. They are then disrupted by Vulcan and his krewe marking the end of winter and the coming of spring.
This carnival is the oldest winter festival in the United States dating back to 1886. In the beginning, the St. Paul Winter Carnival was formed in retaliation to an eastern journalist reporting that Minnesota was another Siberia and unfit for human habitation.
Pride in our state has been strong for a very long time so St. Paul residents formed the carnival as a way to showcase the beauty of Minnesota winters with the legend of Boreas eventually added in.
Along with the Winter Carnival come a lot of fun activities for people of all ages. From winter runs, to the winter beer dabbler, the carnival brings something for every hearty Minnesotan willing to brave our “beautiful” winters.
For more info about the St. Paul Winter Carnival and the full list of activities click here.