Five Winter Festivals to Spice Up the Season

Carnival -- New Orleans,
Carnival -- Rio De Janeiro
Carnival -- Venice
(February 2009)

These festivals, which take place in the weeks leading up to the Christian holiday of Lent, usually include parades with elaborate floats, street parties and lots of music and dancing. The events go by different names in different parts of the world and honor local traditions, but wherever you celebrate Carnival, prepare for riotous partying and an unforgettable experience.

New Orleans' Mardi Gras (Feb. 24, 2009) is the best-known version of Carnival in the U.S., but the largest Carnival celebration in the world takes place in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (Feb. 20-24, 2009). Rio's Carnival culminates with a massive parade featuring dozens of Samba bands and outrageous costumes. For an Old World take on Carnival, head to Venice, Italy, where the first recorded Carnival was held in 1268. Venice's Carnival (Feb. 13-24, 2009) is famous for the intricately designed masks worn by revellers.

Telus World Ski and Snowboard Festival -- Whistler, B.C., Canada
April 17-26, 2009

The world will be watching the slopes around Whistler, British Columbia, a year from now, when Vancouver hosts the 2010 Winter Olympics. But you can beat the crowds and get a preview of the new trails created for the Olympians, by attending this festival hosted by Vancouver-based technology company Telus (TU Quote).

Besides world-class skiing and snowboarding, the festival will feature rock, reggae and hip hop concerts, equipment demos and all sorts of skiing and snowboarding competitions.

Prague Winter Festival - Prague, Czech Republic
(Jan. 2-7, 2009)

This one's coming up soon, but there's still time to make plans to attend one of the world's premier celebrations of opera and ballet. Prague is home to some of the world's finest opera houses and concert halls, and at this event you'll see some of the world's top performers practice their craft at the historic city's venues. The 2009 festival will begin with a performance of Mozart's Don Giovanni in the very theatre where the composer first introduced the opera in 1787.