Most years, the St. Paul Winter Carnival is just a tingle of frostbite remembered by the second weekend in February.
But 2018 is bonus year, with the festivities expanded to 17 days. The Ecolab Ice Palace still towers over Rice Park and the popular Vulcan Victory Torchlight Parade begins at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. The parade goes from Lowertown St. Paul to Rice Park on Fifth Street.
After the torch-wielding Vulcans escort the parade to Rice Park, they will act out the Winter Carnival legend with King Boreas and the rest of the Royal Family, with most of the crowd cheering for an overthrow, which means the Vulcan heat will creep into the weather. Fireworks in Rice Park and the Vulcan Victory Dance at the Intercontinental St. Paul Riverfront hotel follow. For more information, go to wintercarnival.com.
The snow sculptures and giant slide at the Vulcan Snow Park at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds are open through Sunday evening. And there is a new event at the snow park tonight: Barstool Ski Races (racers go downhill on a bar stool attached to skis). For more information, go to mnsnowpark.com.
Bonus: St. Paul Bouncing Team tryouts are tonight at Landmark Center.
Copyright 2018 Pioneer Press.
