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Thursday, January 22, 2009

Why Minnesotans Like Winter....

Today is the first day of the St Paul Winter Carnival.

Yes. In Minnesota, we have a winter carnival.

With ice carvings, ice skating, winter carnival torchlight parade, and all kinds of other stuff. There is even a search for the Winter Carnival Medallion. Winner wins $10,000 (I think...I never search for it).
Here are some photos from the 2004 Winter Carnival when my friend Jake and I volunteered for the carnival as "Ice Palace Ambassadors."

Oh yes. There was an ice palace. The ice is harvested from Lake Phalin and then brought back again. I think. I don't quite remember my Ice Palace Ambassador script.

Then again, Jake and I picked that job because we got to ride around on a warm shuttle bus, not so much about the duties.



Here's the ice palace.

Here is Jake and I, freezing our stuff off, outside the palace on one of our last days as ambassadors. I was also a lot heavier then so you would think all that "extra" would have kept me warm. Nope. Not one bit.

After the winter carnival was over, the had a volunteer appreciation concert inside the ice palace! It was a lot of fun. Cold, but a lot of fun.


Oh. Look. Here's a photo of the concert. Who's the band you ask? That would be the Barenaked Ladies. And yes...we would be right up front.

Standing outside for 4 hours was SO worth it!

6 comments:

Sticky said...

Oh, I miss the Winter Carnival!! I don't know when I have had more fun freezing my butt off!
Great photos, Thanks for the memories...

Unknown said...

I miss it too!!! I miss the parade when they have the flame burners from hot air balloons going through the parade to warm things up a bit...

Oh Minnesotan's sure do know how to do winter right!!!

Amy in Ohio said...

I'm cold just looking at those pics!

Caren said...

Wow... the ice palace looks awesome! Especially from the warmth of my house. Thanks for sharing!

vanilla said...

Why Minnesotans Like Winter....
because they can go to South Texas until Spring. We are surrounded by thousands of them! We love them, too.

(A Winter Texan from Indiana)

Haroldly Taveras said...

OMG!!!! i live in MN as well, i didnt even know we had a winter carnaval.... :(