The Best Snow Festivals in the World

I love snow even though I haven’t been to a place with snow that mounts up to 4 inches and above --that’s the best snow I had here in Dallas, Tx -- USA. Suffice it so say that I just enjoy looking at snow from movies or from the Internet. There are snow and ice festivals all over the world and one I day I will go to one, I promised that to myself. Among all of the snow festivals around the world I love to look at the Sapporo Snow Festival in Japan. Some other snow festivals which are considered best are: Quebec City Winter Carnival and the Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival. Come on take a look at them.

Snow is part of the winter weather and nature so we might as well use them. It is one of the amazing features of our world.

Harbin International Ice and Snow Sculpture Festival in China

When: January 5-February 28, 2010

The festival actually started in 1963 but they stopped it during the cultural revolution, then it returned in 1985. It is so cold in the part of the Northeast China where Harbin is located because of the Siberian wind, BRRRRRRRRRRR. Temperature during summer is 21.2 C and can get to -16.8 degrees C on winter.The festival usually starts on January 5 every year and it usually lasts for a month, but usually upon requests it usually ends a little bit late. Chinese usually excel in this type of work and this year 2010, their show will be frozen works embellished with such modern technology as lasers as well as traditional charms such as ice lanterns -- there are also accompanying treats for children and other adults like fairground rides, alpine skiing, winter swimming and musical performances.

In 2007 there is a Guinness world record at this festival === Harbin for the largest snow sculpture -- 250 metres long, 8.5 metres high.

Quebec Winter Carnival or Carnaval Quebec Winter

Date of the festival: January 29-February 14, 2010　

Quebec Winter Carnival or Carnaval Quebec Winter Carnival is a yearly winter carnival in Quebec City, Quebec, Canada. The event usually starts on January 29 until up to 17 days and it coincides with the “Mardi Gras” celebration in other parts of the region as well. It boasts of usually close to a million participants and is deemed the third largest snow and winter celebrations in the world. The opening plus the closing ceremonies take place at the “Ice Palace” in front of the thousands of participants including the mayor of Quebec City. It is held each year since 1955. Part of the festival is the canoe race in the river beside it -- St. Lawrence River. There is also dogs competing for the obstacle course. Wonderful isn’t it? There is also dance parties outside and there is a race where their drivers and the horses they own will take part in single and double races.

Sapporo Snow festival in Japan

Date of Festival: February 5-11, 2010

The Sapporo Festival in Japan is a famous festival held annually in Sapporo Japan but it usually lasts only for one week, and it is one of the largest Japans winter event, I can say the whole worlds largest. Two million people visited Sapporo to see the hundreds of snow statues and ice sculptures at the Odori Park and Susukino sites this is in Central Sapporo plus the Satoland site. The festival aim is also to promote good international relations among nations. The “International Snow Sculpture Contest” has been held at the Odori Park site since 1974.

The Snow Festival began in 1950, when local high school students built six snow statues in Odori Park

Every year the number of statues displayed is up to 400 in total. The best place to view the statues is at the top of the TV Tower at the Odori Park. Most of the statues are illuminated in the evening and they are very bright. Amazing isn’t it?

If you know of other snow festivals let me know, Thank you.