The world's biggest winter celebration is packed with fun for families. Quebec City is a great getaway: like a mini-trip to Europe. Add on a ski day!
Quebec Carnival: Introduction
This two-week bash gets a million visitors a year, from all over the world. Many visitors, of course, are from Quebec: the "Quebecois" love their winter "Carnival de Quebec", which makes for a joyous spirit. Families are everywhere, with wee kids pulled along on sleds. Many carnival-goers wear a traditional sash; your kids will definitely want one of the long red plastic Carnival trumpets that sound out constantly in the snowy streets.
2009 dates are January 30 to February 15th. Typical features of the Carnaval de Quebec include: night parades, slides, snow rafting, ice fishing, concerts, snow sculptures, horse-drawn sleigh or dogsled rides, Ice Tower and ice-skating-- read more, below.
Admission cost is modest: one affordable price buys entry to all the Carnival venues as often as you like, for the duration of the Festival. Your "ticket" is a collectible souvenir, a miniature "effigy" of the snowman-like Bonhomme, the personification of the Quebec Carnival. 2009 price is a mere $10CDN, and a family package is available.
The Quebec Carnival, by the way, is a true "Carnival" like Mardi Gras: a celebration before the somber time of Lent begins, in the Catholic religious year.
Visiting Quebec City
"I took my kids to Europe last weekend" - That's how it felt, when we visited the Quebec Carnival a few years ago. Quebec City, founded in the year 1608, has so many charming historic streets that it's been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Restaurants have names like Le Cochon Dingue (The Crazy Pig), and French is in the air, but if you don't want to practice your Francais, there's no need: everyone in the tourist trade speaks Anglais too.
Quebec City is a short flight or a 3-1/2 hour drive from Montreal. From a number of northeast US cities, you can fly direct. And though Quebec City is delightful in summer, arguably the best time to visit is during the winter weeks of Quebec Carnival.
Quebec Carnival: A Family Event
The Quebec Carnival is all about families: see photos and tips about activities. Some activities are free; some incur a modest charge. Even the youngest kids attend the festival -- have a look at how Quebecois tots tour the Carnival grounds in style on sleds.
Typical Quebec Carnival activities that kids will enjoy:
- exploring the Ice Palace
- skating outdoors at Place Hydro-Quebec
- at the main festival site: snow rafting, dogsled rides, Ice Castle with slide, snow rafting, tube rides, Maple Sugar Shack
- viewing the International Snow Sculpture Show
- dogsled race, dog talent show
- music and dancing on indoor and outdoor stages
Check the Quebec Carnival web site for updates about activities.
Beyond the Carnival Quebec Fairgrounds:
Naturally, you'll want to explore more of Quebec City, whose streets are safe by day and night. Don't be alarmed by frequent sounds like a trumpeting elephant: it's only happy Carnival-ers blowing on the red plastic trumpets that are an emblem of the Quebec Carnival. Your kids will definitely want to blow these horns too while you explore the town.
No family should miss the giant ice slide perched above the St. Lawrence River, by the Chateau Frontenac. Parents get a chance to wander the pretty streets of Old Quebec on the way to the slide and the ride is a thrill for any age. Cost is about $2 a go; or rent a whole sled for an hour.
Be sure to also visit the bilingual Museum of Civilization. There's always a special big exhibit; the museum is very interactive and designed to keep kids riveted. Cost is modest and free for kids under 12.
Also recommended: take the inexpensive little ferry across the icy St. Laurence River. The return trip (to the town of Levis) takes about an hour; stroll east from the Museum of Civilization to board.
Other fun on your visit could include:
• a ski day at nearby Mont-Sainte-Anne, just a half-hour away (and you can take a shuttle bus);
• a day trip to the Ice Hotel, half and hour away, or winter sports --cross-country skiing, dog-sledding, ice-fishing, snowmobiling-- in the Duchesnay recreation area.
Head to photos and tips about Quebec Winter Carnival.
*Always check for updates
