Quebec Winter Carnival

The Quebec Winter Carnival (or Carnaval de Québec), held yearly in Quebec City, Canada, is the biggest winter carnival in the world.Fact|date=June 2008The festival typically starts on the last Friday of January or the first Friday of February and it continues for 17 days, usually with close to one million participants every year.

Activities and Attractions

* Bonhomme Carnaval is the official ambassador of the festivities, a large snowman sporting a red cap, black buttons and a Ceinture fléchée.

* The opening and closing Ceremonies take place at the Ice Palace. At the opening, before thousands of Carnival-goers, the List of mayors of Quebecdating back as far as 1894, and held each year since 1955. The 3.2 kilometer course across the freezing Saint Lawrence River requires an enormous level of skill and endurance, particularly when large sections may be frozen and team members get to pull their canoes along the ice.

*In 2008, the 20th presentation of the Symposium attracted more than 5000 visitors.

* The Business Leader's Luncheon, organized by the Québec City Chamber of Commerce, brings together business people from the Québec City area and is aniated by a guest speaker.

* The Calgary Stampede Flap Jack Breakfast A delegation from Calgary will prepare a western-style breakfast for the general public at no charge! Flapjacks, sausages and hot coffee on the menu! In 2008, the Carnival-goers had the surprise to be served by prime minister Stephen Harper who took some time to enjoy the festivities.

* Giant Table Soccer Game Be part of a 9-person team and play a real table soccer game, but….on the human scale! Like in a real game, the players are attached three by three to a long metal pole that crosses the field. They can only move sideways, and only as a group!

* The Public Auction is a fundraising event in aid of the Carnival. This auction features many goods and services donated by area companies and professional firms. Silent auction and live auction.

* Outdoor Dance Parties Make way for the Outdoor Dance Party on Fridays and Saturdays at the Palace! Be ready to move and dance. Did you ever imagine dancing under the stars in your snowsuit? Yet another unparalleled winter experience.

* The Restaurant Partners' Campaign is a 17-day promotion during which Québec City restaurants offer customers a special menu for a fixed price throughout the Carnival (including appetizer, soup, or salad, a main course, and a dessert).

* A Sleigh Race where drivers and their horses will take part in a thrilling single and double harness race.

* The Dog Agility Competition on Snow brings together around 60 masters and their dog to compete in a unique outdoor obstacle course.

* Place Desjardins is located on the plains of Abraham. There are many things to see and do at Place Desjardins as part of the Carnival festivities. The Plains have been transformed into an outdoor winter amusement park for the whole family.
** Snow Slides
** Downhill Skiing
** Giant Table-Soccer Game
** Ice Tower
** Sleigh Rides
** Snow Rafting
** Bistro
** Snow Sculptures
** Many other activities and shows.

History

The first large scale Carnival was held in 1894, more or less in continuation of traditional Mardi Gras festivities which had been popular everywhere in Québec, using humbler means and involving smaller numbers of individuals. The Carnival was interrupted by World War I, the Great Depression of 1929 and World War II. It was held sporadically between 1945 and 1954.

The style of the Carnival has changed considerably over the last twenty years and now includes cultural events and participatory sports as well as traditional spectator sports.

Themes

Every year, the Carnival innovates with a new theme.
* In 2005, the theme was “Fire & Ice”.

* In 2006, the theme was “Surprise”.

* In 2007, the theme was “Challenges”.

* In 2008, the theme was “The Carnival Sets the Tone”.

Traditions

*The Arrowhead Sash is part of the Carnival's traditions. It's a colored, plaited sash worn by many Carnival-goers and Bonhomme himself. It recalls the sash worn by Québec's inhabitants who pursued an American Indian tradition during the previous centuries it was worn by lumber jacks and peasants to tie their coats at the waist to keep the cold from creeping in and to support the kidney during physical work.
* The Carnival Trumpets The best way to warm is moving and dancing, and to put you in the mood, nothing works better than the long red trumpets carnival-goers toot all along the parade circuits. So dress in something red, tie your belt on and hold on to your hat, because in Québec City, the tradition is to party like crazy!

* The Caribou is a feisty alcoholic beverage that became popular in the early Carnivals. The recipe comes from Ti-Père, a business that was first established on Ste-Thérèse Street in the lower city, then, more recently, in Old Québec. Suffice it to say a typical caribou contains brandy, vodka, sherry and port... Wow!

tatistics

* In 1964, 260 000 people visited Québec during the Carnival.

* In 1994, Québec received more than 500 000 visitors, including more than 20 % tourists mostly from the United States and Europe.

* In 2008, the rounded number of visitors is close to a million.

Economic spin-offs

* The Québec Winter Carnival is the world's largest winter carnival. It is also the world's third largest carnival behind rio de Janeiro and New Orleans.

* In 2008, the Carnival received near a million visitors. The budget is of 8,9 million dollar and to hold this blockbuster event, the Carnival relies on income from sponsors and Carnival Workshops, from government partners (grants), from a vast fundraising campaign that includes the sale of candles and Bonhomme effigies, and from sales of Carnival mementos and souvenirs.

* The Carnival counts 50 employees and more than 1500 volunteers. More than a hundred foreign journalists cover the event each year.

References

External links

* [http://www.carnaval.qc.ca/en/index.asp Carnaval de Québec] - Official Site