The McCall Winter Carnival is happening this weekend as people will flock to this mountain resort town to see the ice sculptures, take in the parade and enjoy the fireworks.
If you are thinking about heading up there this is the third story we've done in preparation of the carnival. We also showcased outdoor activities to do around McCall and the challenges of building ice sculptures in this abnormally warm winter.
"This year’s carnival will look a little bit different, but only in terms of the dates so all the events people love is still happening," said McKenzie Kraemer of the McCall Chamber of Commerce.
This year, the McCall Winter Carnival is happening a month later than in the past, and it will be one weekend long instead of two.
"What we were finding is we were displacing a lot of business in late January and early February when people come to ski and snowmobile," said Kraemer. "It was hard for them to find hotel rooms."
One of the keys is planning ahead. As only a few hotel rooms remain, the Chamber of Commerce polled businesses and 70 percent were in favor of changing the carnival to one weekend. When the carnival got canceled in 2021 because of COVID, the area still saw an increase in the number of hotel rooms booked.
"It’s not that it will be like this forever," said Kraemer. "If it doesn’t work we are happy to move it back, but we think there is a pretty viable chance that this might be a great model."
One of the most important aspects is respecting this mountain town. Back in 2020, the snow sculpture at Ruby's Kitchen was vandalized to the point where it had to be taken down, and it wasn't the first time this had happened either.
"To have people come in, kick it and blow holes through it and do what they did to make it unsafe was heartbreaking," said ice sculptor John Schulz back in 2020.
The City of McCall also has an ordinance they passed making it illegal to feed the deer. Feeding wildlife is never a good idea, but if you are caught feeding the deer it comes with a fine of $100.
The best way to experience the carnival is on foot as traffic becomes an issue with so many people visiting for the carnival. Find a place to park and you can walk around town looking at the ice sculptures, get food and shop.
"It is going to be a big crowd. Try to find a place to park there are some great online resources on where to park and try to limit left hand turns, it just keeps traffic moving," said Kraemer. "Come with your patience, come with a smile and we will all have a good time."
It is looking like it will be a warm weekend and we will have a team up in McCall with live coverage of the parade on channel 6.2. We will also have a booth as we are sponsoring the parade this year so make sure to come say hello.
