Penguins, Viking women, yetis, mountain men, and royals. They all hit the streets of Whitefish every mid-winter. When snows pile deep, the town hauls out its own mythology of nonsense. It’s all for Winter Carnival. And no one cares how ridiculous it is.

Festivities celebrate the fun. The prelude starts weeks in advance with royalty coronations and roasts. For action, ski joring pits skiers pulled by horses racing against each other.

Winter Carnival culminates on the first weekend in February. That’s when downtown packs with locals and visitors alike.

The weekend features an icy plunge into Whitefish Lake, kiddie carnival, pancake breakfast, and pie social. But the big event is the Grand Parade. Along downtown streets, crowds line the sidewalks. With humor, the small-town parade brings out fire engines, marching bands, dancers, horses, and dogs. Once the parade finishes, restaurants and bars in town pack out with celebrants.

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  Photo by Becky Lomax