The Quebec Winter Carnival is an annual cold-season festival held in Quebec City, Quebec. Having grown out of the midwinter gatherings of the early habitant settlers, it is now one of the largest events of its kind in North America, drawing well over a million visitors each year, many of whom come to Canada just for the spirited two-week event. Thanks to the Carnival, hundreds of millions of dollars flow into Quebec annually, a sizable share of which returns to the city and the province through taxes and tourism.

The Carnival traces its beginnings to 1894, when merchants in Quebec City organized the first winter festival to lift spirits during the coldest months, and it was revived for good in 1955. It honours not only French-Canadian heritage but also the endurance of the early settlers, who first gathered for midwinter feasts to mark the turning of the season and whose customs remain central to the event. Since the 1950s, however, the Carnival has welcomed sculptors and performers from across the world, whose contributions now stand beside the local traditions.