The Québec Winter Carnival runs from 5 to 14 February 2027, and Winterlude in Ottawa–Gatineau runs from 29 January to 15 February 2027, so the two biggest winter festivals in eastern Canada overlap for ten days. Québec's Carnival is ten days of night parades, an ice palace, a canoe race across the frozen St. Lawrence and Bonhomme, its snowman host; entry to the main sites needs the Effigy pass ($39 plus tax in 2026). Winterlude spreads over three weekends around the Rideau Canal Skateway and costs nothing to skate. The trains between the two cities take about six hours, which makes it realistic to see both in one trip.
This guide covers each festival's main events, what is free and what costs money, and how to combine them.
Bonhomme's Ice Palace, built from blocks of ice, at the Québec Winter Carnival in 2009. Image: Shapiros10, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Québec Winter Carnival 2027: dates and opening hours
The 73rd Québec Winter Carnival takes place from 5 to 14 February 2027. The organisers haven't yet published the 2027 daily opening hours. As a guide, in 2026 (6 to 15 February) the Carnival sites opened:
- Fridays: 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the opening Friday, and 12 p.m. to 11 p.m. on the second Friday;
- Saturdays: 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.;
- Sundays: 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on the first Sunday and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on the final day;
- Monday to Thursday: 12 p.m. to 8 p.m.
The 2027 edition starts on a Friday and ends on a Sunday in the same way, so expect a similar pattern. Check the "Q&A" page on carnaval.qc.ca in January for the confirmed hours.
The Carnival's history goes back further than Bonhomme. The first big winter carnival in Québec City was held in 1894. It ran on and off until a group of local business people relaunched it, and the first edition of the modern Québec Winter Carnival took place in 1955.
Who is Bonhomme?
Bonhomme Carnaval is the Carnival's official host: a snowman in a red tuque and a traditional arrow sash (ceinture fléchée). According to the organisers he stands 7 feet tall and weighs "400 pounds of packed snow". He first appeared in public at the Porte Saint-Louis on 9 January 1955, when the mayor gave him the keys to the city. The mayor still hands Bonhomme the keys at the start of every Carnival.
Unlike carnival figures in Europe that are burned at the end of the season, Bonhomme simply leaves when the Carnival is over and comes back the next winter. You'll see him at the night parades, at the Ice Palace and around the sites.
Bonhomme Carnaval in his red tuque and arrow sash, February 2006. Image: Photo par / taken by Boréal., CC BY-SA 2.5, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Effigy: the Carnival pass
The Effigy is the Carnival's official pass, a small figure of Bonhomme made in Québec from recycled maple-sap tubing. You need it to enter the Carnival sites. In 2026 it cost $39 plus tax, or $36 plus tax each when buying ten or more. Besides site access, it comes with a booklet of 18 discount coupons for local businesses.
Children aged 12 and under don't need an Effigy. You can buy it online, at participating Brunet pharmacies in the Québec City area, or at the entrances to the sites during the Carnival. Effigies are non-refundable.
Some activities need a separate ticket even with an Effigy. In 2026 these included ice-sculpture workshops, the musical evenings, the snow bath (to take part), VIP seats for the night parades and the canoe race, and abseiling down the Château Frontenac.
What's free at the Québec Winter Carnival?
The organisers point to the Night Parades and the Canoe Race as free to watch. Walking around Old Québec to see the ice and snow sculptures and the decorations costs nothing either. The family area at Gougoune et doudoune is free to enter during the Carnival.
The main events
Bonhomme's Ice Palace
The Ice Palace is built entirely from blocks of ice each year in the Loto-Québec Zone, near Old Québec. It usually has several sections to walk through, and Bonhomme receives visitors there. Go at dusk, when the palace is lit.
The Night Parades
There are two Night Parades, with floats, music and Bonhomme leading the way, and thousands of people lining the route. Bring the long red or blue Carnival trumpet if you want to blend in; the organisers say it can reach 114 decibels. The 2027 parade dates and route are published in the Carnival programme.
Performers in costume at the Carnival's Night Parade in Québec City, February 2023. Image: Jeangagnon, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Ice Canoe Race
The Canoe Race is the Carnival's signature event. Dozens of teams race canoes across the icy water and floating ice of the St. Lawrence River, in four categories: Open Elite, Women's Elite, Mixed Elite and Sport. You can watch for free from Quays 19 and 21 in the Port of Québec. For a warmer view, VIP tickets give access to the Québec–Lévis ferry with a heated indoor area, a DJ and bar service; tickets for the 2027 races in Québec City and Lévis are already on sale.
Ice canoe teams crossing the ice floes of the St. Lawrence River in front of Québec City, February 2024. Image: Gabriel Picard, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Snow Bath
The Snow Bath is the Carnival's most famous test of nerve: participants dive into the snow outdoors in swimsuits and snow boots. Watching is free; taking part needs a ticket.
Bonhomme with participants in the Carnival's Snow Bath, February 2010. Image: Marc-Lautenbacher, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Ice sculptures and the family areas
Local and international artists carve ice sculptures for the Carnival, often on winter themes or Québec's heritage. For families, the 2026 programme had a toddlers' zone with a nursing area, sled rentals for carrying children and a family area at Gougoune et doudoune.
Getting around the Québec Carnival
During the Carnival, free shuttles run between Upper Town and Lower Town (Gougoune et doudoune) every 30 minutes; in 2026 the first departure was at 10 a.m. on weekends and 12 p.m. on weekdays, and the last at 5 p.m. The city's RTC buses serve the Carnival sites, and the Québec–Lévis ferry is a cheap way to cross the river, with a view of the ice. Leave chairs, tripods, selfie sticks and alcohol at home: they aren't allowed on the sites.
Winterlude 2027 in Ottawa and Gatineau
Winterlude (Bal de Neige) runs from 29 January to 15 February 2027 and will be its 49th edition. It was first held in 1979 and has been run by Canadian Heritage since 2013. It takes place across Canada's Capital Region in Ottawa and Gatineau, and draws on average more than 500,000 visitors. Since 1994 it has been held over three consecutive weekends rather than ten days in a row, so plan your visit around a weekend if you want the full programme.
The 2027 programme hasn't been published yet. In recent editions the main activities have been skating, tube sliding and ice sculptures, plus cultural events. In 2026 the Crystal Garden ice-sculpture site returned to Confederation Park for the first time since 2018, with an ice-sculpture exhibition and a public ice-carving challenge, steps from the Skateway.
Snow slides at Winterlude's Snowflake Kingdom in Gatineau, February 2013. Image: Michel Rathwell from Cornwall, Canada, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
The Rideau Canal Skateway
The heart of Winterlude is the Rideau Canal Skateway, 7.8 km of frozen canal through central Ottawa. The National Capital Commission opens it when the ice is thick enough; the season usually runs from January to early March. Skating is free, and when it's open the Skateway is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. You can rent skates, sleighs and tricycles and have your skates sharpened on site. The Rideau Canal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Ice conditions change daily. Check the NCC's ice-conditions page on the morning you plan to skate.
Skaters on the Rideau Canal Skateway in central Ottawa, January 2025. Image: Williamson.est, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
Combining the Québec Carnival and Winterlude by train
The two festivals overlap from 5 to 14 February 2027, which leaves room for both. VIA Rail runs trains between Québec City and Ottawa via Montréal: the 455 km trip takes about 5 hours 53 minutes on average, with around 28 departures a week. Check when you book whether your train runs through or needs a change in Montréal.
A simple plan:
- Weekend one in Québec City (5 to 7 February). Opening weekend of the Carnival: Ice Palace, sculptures and the first night parade.
- Midweek in Ottawa (8 to 11 February). Skate the Rideau Canal in the quieter weekday hours and see the ice sculptures.
- Weekend two, your choice. Stay in Ottawa for Winterlude's final weekend (12 to 15 February), or return to Québec City for the last Carnival weekend (12 to 14 February), with the second night parade and the canoe race.
Book hotels early in Québec City for the Carnival weekends, and buy your Effigy online before you travel.
If the weather turns
Both festivals happen in deep winter. The Carnival says all activities go ahead in snow showers, as long as it's safe. A thaw is the bigger risk: the Skateway only opens when the weather allows, and it can close when temperatures rise. Dress in layers, keep spare gloves and socks with you, and use the heated zones and indoor venues to warm up between events.
More winter in Québec
The Hôtel de Glace, Quebec's ice hotel at Village Vacances Valcartier, about 20 minutes north of Québec City, is open to visitors from 26 December 2026 to 21 March 2027. It fits easily into a Carnival trip as a half-day excursion.
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