The nation’s oldest collegiate winter celebration, Dartmouth Winter Carnival dates back to 1911, when the leadership of the Dartmouth Outing Club (DOC) proposed that two days in early February be “given over to a Winter Carnival.”
The DOC created Winter Carnival to showcase snowshoeing and cross-country skiing and to invite women to campus for a lavish Outing Club Dance. Carnival grew over the years to include extravagant musical and dramatic productions, the crowning of a Snow Queen, bonfires, toboggan races, snow sculpting competitions, fireworks, and parades.
Ninety-eight years later, Dartmouth students continue to showcase their winter skills in NCAA ski races, and visitors come to admire the snow sculpture on the Green and watch their children slide down the ice castle at the Occom Pond. Other events include the human dogsled race, the polar bear swim, and the costumed Carnival Classic cross-country ski race.
This year Winter Carnival celebrates the 100th anniversary of the DOC with it is theme, “Summiting a Century.” For a complete list of Carnival events, held on Feb. 12-14, visit the Winter Carnival web site.
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