Fête des Neiges

For three weekends in late January and early February, Parc Jean-Drapeau becomes an outdoor celebration of winter with the Fête des Neiges, or snow festival. Family-friendly activities include snow tubing, ice hockey, zip lining, and outdoor skating along sections of the St. Lawrence River. The festival started in the 1980’s, but added a snow village in 2012, with an ice hotel and restaurant, and replicas of Montreal buildings all crafted from snow and ice. There's baked brioche and hot chocolate to warm up, and traditional maple taffy—a maple syrup dessert that's cooled and thickened using snow.