Lots of fun in store for Winter Carnival
Courtesy Kahnawake Youth Center
The 2026 Winter Carnival is kicking off Sunday, with lots of different options for fun the whole family can enjoy throughout the next two weeks.
This year’s Carnival features many events that are organized by or with the assistance of other organizations in town, like the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake (MCK), the Kanien’keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Center (KOR), Kahnawà:ke Shakotiia’takehnhas Community Services (KSCS), and Connecting Horizons, to name a few.
The evening of Saturday, February 7, for instance, will mark the return of the MCK’s Ice Fest at the Kahnawake Sports Complex, running from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Community members will be able to ice skate or just hang out and enjoy the food, hot chocolate, music, and goodies given out – all of it free of charge.
“There’s no pressure or anything, we want everybody to just enjoy themselves. It’s our way of giving back to the community more enjoyment as a part of the Winter Carnival,” said Emily Kane, the MCK’s public relations specialist for community engagement.
“It’s going to be really awesome. We encourage everybody to come out.”
The Kahnawake Environment Protection Office (KEPO) and Onkwata’karitáhtshera are but a few organizations that will take part with kiosks at the event.
“It’s just about having that welcoming relationship for everything, all the events that we organize moving forward. I think that’s important, too,” said Kane.
The hope is a more relaxed environment will help with participation in the housing survey, for example, as it will be a bonus at Ice Fest rather than something people go to because they are doing the survey.
There are lots of other activities to watch out for this year as well.
The KOR will be holding a scavenger hunt all throughout the Carnival days, with clues both in English and in Kanien’kéha, as well as a trivia night at the Kahnawake Brewing Company on Wednesday evening.
KSCS will be holding a two-day Kindness Carnival at the Knights of Columbus on February 3 and February 4.
The ever-popular broomball tournament will also be taking place on February 3 at the Sports Complex.
Those who prefer cerebral activities will enjoy the Puzzle and Pawns night on February 5, with the return of the puzzle tournament from last year being joined by a blitz chess tournament.
Another return is KYC’s Beast Games, inspired by the game show from YouTube megastar Mr. Beast – itself inspired by Squid Game. That will last all weekend from February 9-10.
The second week of Winter Carnival will start with Family Airbounce day at the Youth Center on February 9. The slightly less hectic moccasin workshops done by Kahnawake Tourism will take place in the evening, the first of two. The second is the next day at the same time, overlapping with Connecting Horizons’ “Friend-Raiser,” a lūʻau-themed party with sensory-friendly activities, crafts, and limbo held at the Youth Center from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. The Turtle Bay Elders’ Lodge will be naming their king and queen of the carnival that day, too.
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Gingerbread decorating will be happening on the afternoon of February 11, and those who are sporty, thrifty, or both will enjoy the night market and pond hockey night, both happening at Orville Park on February 12 starting at 5 p.m.
The week’s events will close with everyone’s favourite frozen finale, the Polar Plunge, at 4 p.m.
The full schedule is available on the KYC’s Facebook page.
