For 136 years, the Winter Carnival has also included many specialized events and activities. Some continue, some long gone, and some reinvented including

• Ice fishing
• Horse racing on ice
• Car racing on ice
• Puzzle competitions
• Marathon running
• Majorette competitions.
• & MORE

 

 Did you Know?!

•  Some events resulted in National Competitions such as the Majorette National Finals in 1941.
• The Saint Paul Winter Carnival Bouncing Team made their debut in 1886 and have continued the tradition to this day by tossing their members into the air using a blanket. The 2022 team even features a bouncing grandma, Denise Tschida! 

Continuation of Celebrating Diverse Cultures 

In 1916 and 1917, representatives from the Blackfeet tribe came to town via Louis Hill’s Glacier Park in Montana. Teepees were set up around the palaces but used primarily as “warming houses” for skaters, tobogganers and dog sledders. In 1929, the theme of the Winter Carnival was focused on Indians and their role in Minnesota but there was no Indian village. During the 2003 Winter Carnival, there was a huge Indian pow-wow organized by members of the Ojibwe Tribe and held at the Landmark Center featuring Indian dancing, costume displays and ethnic foods.

More Great Resources

Looking for more great history about the Saint Paul Winter Carnival? Visit the Minnesota Historical Society’s online database and the Ramsey County Historical Society’s online database and search, “Winter Carnival.”

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Thank you to the Minnesota Historical Society; the Ramsey County Historical Society; archives of the Pioneer Press and “Fire and Ice” by Moira Harris for helping contribute to this collection of History!