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Category + winter
Other Winter StoriesWinterfest - Web FeatureBy Jannik EikenaarFrom coast to coast, we showcase ten of the coolest winter festivals across Canada.
Across the country, Canadians celebrate their love of all things snowy with festivals ranging from the world’s largest (Quebec’s Carnaval) to one of the most intimate (Love, Saskatchewan). Icewine Festival Ice wine grapes are plucked from the vine when the first snow falls, so it only makes sense to raise a glass (or two) during the season of its origins. Savor the best from local wineries, including the Okanagan Valley’s Mission Hill 2004 Riesling and Sumac Ridge 2003 Gewürztraminer Icewine. Don’t miss… tasting the 2006 Okanagan Fall Wine Festival medal winners on Jan. 20, 2007, at the Pinnacle Lodge & Spa. sunpeaksresort.com/winter/activities/events/icewine.aspx, 1-800-807-3257 Frostbite Music Festival Jazz, acoustic and rock performances echo through Whitehorse’s snow-covered streets for two days and nights during Frostbite’s signature event. The music society hosts Bluebird North, a songwriters’ circle, as part of the series of performances by local and Western Canadian talent. Don’t miss… Chad van Galen, a “contemporary Neil Young,” on Feb. 17, 2007, in the main hall. www.frostbitefest.ca, 1-867-668-4921 Ice on Whyte Whyte Ave. is the place – and definitely the color – whether it’s the ice-dust spraying from the carvers’ chisels or the scraped surface of the festival’s movie screen (three 3.6 m/ 12-ft blocks of ice, of course). The three-day ice-carving competition is the main event, and the shop-filled alleys of the surrounding Old Strathcona district are the perfect distraction while waiting for the final reveal. Don’t miss… a view of the ice sculptures at sunset on Jan. 20, 2007, in McIntyre Park. iceonwhyte.ca, 1-780-418-5593 Kona-fest Kōna-fest combines over 25 musical, sporting and cultural events in a citywide celebration. The downtown Ice & Fire Carnival kicks things off with the unveiling of 10 local artists’ giant snow sculptures. Get there early for the lighting of the bonfire and the lantern-lit procession to the park. Don’t miss… a tour of the lantern-lit snow sculptures on Feb. 17, 2007, in Victoria Park. konafest.com, 1-306-359-7541 Valentine’s Celebration The date is four days early, but the citizens of Love (population: 57) certainly have their hearts in the right place. And when you’re in Love, everything is romantic, whether you’re watching feathers fly in the pillow fight event or cheering for the underdog in the hatchet-throwing and power saw contests. Don’t miss… the smoosh moosh race, where teams of three strap themselves into giant pairs of skis. cybervillagemall.com/sk/love, 306-276-2380 Festival du Voyageur Rock out Cajun-style with Men in Kilts, a union of Celtic and francophone influences, or burn up the dance floor with Blou, an Acadian whirlwind. With mounds of food and a cacophony of multilingual conversations, the festival recalls the free-spirited “kitchen parties” of traders celebrating a year’s hard work. Don’t miss… Madrigaïa at the Governor’s Ball, a 19th-century costume party on Feb. 10, 2007. festivalvoyageur.mb.ca, 204-237-7692 Toonik Tyme This celebration of traditional Inuit games begins with a sugar shack brunch – including pancakes, bacon and sausages smothered in maple syrup – and then burns off the calories during the igloo-building and dogsled-racing contests. Don’t miss… a most unusual round of golf played on the surface of nearby Toonik Lake. nunavuttourism.com, 1-866-686-2888 Montreal High Lights Festival High Lights features international culinary, artistic and musical talent, all within a few downtown blocks: Savor a meal prepared by chef and author Daniel Boulud at restaurant Toqué! or marvel at Vincent Mantsoe’s Afro-fusion dance performance Men-Jaro. Must-see performers include violinist Angèle Dubeau and South Africa’s Johnny Clegg, who intertwines Zulu dances with African and Western sounds. Don’t miss… an intimate performance of Romeo & Juliet at the Centaur Theatre, from Feb. 27 to Mar. 4, 2007. montrealenlumiere.com, 1-888-477-9955 Mr. Christie Quebec Winter Carnival - Carnaval de Quebec The night parades are the raison d’être of this Quebecois festival. Join the first procession (Feb. 3, 2007), and wind your way through the Old City crowded with revelers boasting Carnaval’s traditional ceinture fléchée (arrow sash) on their way to the outdoor dance party. Be sure to stake out a spot with a view on Feb. 10, 2007, for Carnaval’s closing ceremony, complete with floats, mascot and marching bands. Don’t miss… Bonhomme, Carnaval’s ambassador to the world! carnaval.qc.ca, 1-866-422-7628 A Season of Light and Wonder Plan on two evenings in St. Andrews: one to explore the candlelit heritage shops as Victorian carolers stroll the town and the other to indulge in the Dine Around, a meal served in three stages… at three different restaurants. Enjoy a roasted squash and apple soup “shooter” at the Rossmount Inn; Atlantic salmon in a lime-wasabi cream with crisp potatoes and winter vegetables at the Fairmont Algonquin; and dessert at the Kingsbrae Garden. Don’t miss… delectable pumpkin crème brûlée at the Kingsbrae Garden. www.standrewsby-the-sea.ca, 1-866-566-8687 Getting here Pinnacle Lodge & Spa, 1-866-578-7850, www.pinnaclelodgesunpeaks.com Photo credit: Mr. Christie Quebec Winter Carnival/ Carnaval de Quebec |
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