The ice palaces … the snow sculptures … the parades … what are your favorite memories of the St. Paul Winter Carnival?
With fewer than 100 days to go before the start of the 2026 Carnival, organizers are seeking submissions for their “Remember When” campaign.
Submissions could consist of a favorite childhood moment, a family tradition or a special experience that captures the spirit of the festival.
The public can email entries to RememberWhen@spfhf.org or upload them to the St. Paul Winter Carnival website at wintercarnival.com/p/getinvolved/remember-when.
Memories can also be mailed to the St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation at 75 W. Fifth Street, Suite 429, St. Paul, MN 55102.
Submissions will be shared on the Winter Carnival’s various communications, including its website and social media.
The 10-day winter festival will be held from Jan. 22 to Feb. 1.
Prime Minister
On Tuesday, marking the 100-day countdown to the start of the Carnival, Tom Barrett was announced as the 2026 Prime Minister of the Royal Family. The prime minister serves as a sort of logistics manager for the royal family as they attend events throughout the year. Other members of the royal family will be announced/revealed later.
Barrett’s memories of the Winter Carnival, sent out in a news release on Tuesday, mark the first submissions to the “Remember When” campaign:
“I’ve been involved with the Saint Paul Winter Carnival since the early 1970s when I ran for (and lost) the Junior Royalty,” he said in the statement. “But my best experience was in 2004 when I was Vulcanus Rex and along with my Vulcan Krewe, we greeted people from all over the world to our Ice Palace in St Paul!!!
“Another great memory was in 1993 along the parade route. It was my first year as a Vulcan. I loved seeing all the smiling faces. So many kids that wanted to have a Vulcan mustache or the ‘Mark of a V’ on their cheek!
“Now, in 2026, and as the Prime Minister of the Royal Family, I still embrace what the legend of the Winter Carnival represents, and I look forward to seeing those smiling faces again albeit from the ‘other side!’”
Commemorative coin
The St. Paul Festival and Heritage Foundation, the nonprofit that produces the Winter Carnival, has created a commemorative coin for the event’s 140th anniversary.
One side of the coin features a bejeweled 140th logo while the flip side displays a photo of the first Winter Carnival ice palace.
There are a limited number of coins available to purchase: exactly 1,886 to represent the inaugural year of the Winter Carnival.
The coin goes on sale to the public on Friday, Oct. 17, for $140, representing the 140th anniversary. Foundation members can purchase the coins now, while supplies last, for $100.
Info/purchase by visiting wintercarnival.com and clicking “Marketplace.”
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