St. Paul Winter Carnival’s mission is to foster a sense of community, pride, belonging and connectedness by celebrating the city's heritage through fun and educational experiences. It generates 350,000 visitors a year, and $3.5 - $5 million dollars of economic impact to the city and the State of Minnesota.
In February of 1886 the business leaders of Saint Paul, then the U.S.’s fastest growing city, produced its first Winter Carnival. It was patterned after Montreal’s Winter Carnival to showcase the habitability of St. Paul in winter. Over its 125-year history, it has been a key event in the social fabric of Saint Paul.
Its annual pageant story celebrates the banishment of winter’s King Boreas and his court by the coming summer’s heat of Vulcanus Rex and his Krew. It includes parades, skiing, snow shoeing, a blanket tossing contest, and other competitions. Most notable are its city-wide medallion hunt and annually constructed ice castle.