The St. Paul Winter Carnival, that rare 11-day span when downtown St. Paul is filled with fur-trimmed royalty, bedeviled businessmen and sightseers marveling at sculptures coaxed from ice, returns for its 127th year on Thursday, Jan. 24.
The staples are back — like ice sculptures in Rice Park and the Grande Day and Torchlight parades — and joined by a couple of new or improved events, like a barbecue chow-down and bigger beer swill.
WHAT’S NEW
Xcel Energy Educational Green Day: Folks are invited to come down to Rice Park from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, to learn about energy efficiency.
Happy Birthday, Amadeus! Starting at 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, in Landmark Center, revelers can celebrate Mozart and his music on the composer’s 257th birthday with performances by the St. Paul Symphony Civic Orchestra and the Minnesota Chorale. There will even be a “Requiem” sing-along.
Barbecue: As an introduction to what organizers hope will become a full-fledged competition in coming years, Famous Dave’s is catering a BBQ feed from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 27, in Rice Park. Proceeds benefit Spare Key, a nonprofit that supports parents with seriously ill or critically injured children.
Sled dog racing: The long-absent carnival event almost made a comeback last year, but thin ice and a lack of snow quashed the fun. Not this year. The North Star Sled Dog Club is bringing the races to Bald Eagle Lake just outside White Bear Lake from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, and Sunday, Jan. 27. Go to wintercarnivalsleddograce.com for more information.
WHAT’S IMPROVED
Bigger Beer Dabbler: The afternoon-long celebration of good beer, slated for 3:30 to 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 26, is expanding its footprint to make room for more beer and more drinkers. Last year’s event drew about 5,000 people; this year could reach 7,500. Go to thebeerdabbler.com for more information.
WHAT’S WORTH CHECKING OUT JUST BECAUSE
Ice castle: Who knows when the St. Paul Winter Carnival will get its own ice castle again, but this year there’s an alternative to crying about it. Out at Mall of America in Bloomington, a team of builders has constructed an acre-large castle of icicles, with some towers reaching dozens of feet into the air. For more information, go to mallofamerica.com/events/feature/ice-castles.
Crashed Ice: Skating daredevils again will take to an icy downhill course Thursday, Jan. 24, to Saturday, Jan. 26, as the Red Bull Crashed Ice World Championship returns to St. Paul’s Cathedral Hill for a second year. The spectacle draws hundreds of competitors and thousands of fans as athletes navigate a 400-meter course, mostly on their feet.
John Brewer can be reached at 651-228-2093.
FOR UPDATES AND MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THESE EVENTS, GO TO WINTER-CARNIVAL.COM.
Copyright 2013 Pioneer Press.
