The Winter Carnival, hosted by the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club, is a community-wide celebration of athleticism and winter. With over a century behind it as the official organizer of the Winter Carnival, the Steamboat Springs Winter Sports Club is proud to host this historic event that has been listed as one of the Top Ten Winter Carnivals in the World by National Geographic. For over 100 years, Winter Carnival has served our valley and visitors as a celebration that builds community and highlights our western and ski heritage. When the Steamboat Springs Winter Carnival was first established, it was a celebration born out of the residents’ need to forget the hardships of winter, chase away the shorter days, and bring happiness back to a valley plagued by snow. Today, this 5 day long carnival no longer represents a need to forget the long winters, it highlights the community wide acclaim of snow that has earned the town of Steamboat Springs the moniker, Ski Town, USA. Our Winter Carnival events are unique; we cover our main street with snow, saddle up the horses and tow young athletes on skis behind horses, wild with excitement! The athletes maneuver around cones, fly off jumps and best each other in friendly sport. Throughout the week, athletes will celebrate our Olympic heritage by soaring off of Nordic Jumps, practicing spins and aerials onto an airbag, and racing down the slopes of Howelsen Hill. The Winter Carnival Night Extravaganza entertains and amazes nearly 8,000 people in attendance as they watch the famous Lighted Man in his pyrotechnic suit shooting fireworks from his body, athletes jumping through the fiery hoop, and the spectacle of a barrage of fireworks that culminates in the explosion of one of the largest firework shells in the world. We are privileged to celebrate our history and heritage in this idyllic mountain town with the largesse of a world-class Winter Carnival. We invite you to join us as we celebrate the unique heritage and community of the one, the only, Ski Town, USA.