Whitefish Winter Carnival

Every February, the town of Whitefish, Montana gathers for its Winter Carnival — 67 years of parades, a penguin plunge, and the kind of communal winter mischief that a small mountain city near Glacier National Park has made into tradition. Local legend holds that the whole thing exists to honor a Nordic winter king who once defeated his enemies and swore to protect the valley. Whether you believe the myth or not, the first weekend in February is when Whitefish shows you exactly who it is.