Whitefish carnival ranked one of top 10 in world

The Whitefish Winter Carnival has been named one of the top 10 winter carnivals in the world by National Geographic Traveler magazine.

The January/February issue detailed the best of the best carnivals, with Whitefish ranked in 10th place.

"For more than 50 years the residents of Whitefish, Montana, have feted Ullr, a legendary god of snow who lives on nearby Big Mountain," the magazine wrote. "Each year, a band of prankster snowmen known as the Yetis try to spoil the fun by kidnapping the snow queen and perpetrating other high jinks, but Ullr inevitably prevails, ensuring his standing among his subjects and next winter's carnival."

The article notes Whitefish's 2012 theme, "Fiesta Pescado Blanco," and explains how the carnival is an annual weekend of street and ski parades, winter sports matchups in ski racing, skijoring (in which skiers are towed by horses), ice hockey, and the annual Penguin Plunge, a frigid dip in Whitefish Lake.

This year's 53rd annual Whitefish Winter Carnival culminates with a weekend of fun Feb. 3-5.

National Geographic Traveler named Anchorage, Alaska's Fur Rendezvous as the No. 1 winter fest in the world.

That 10-day celebration has been going on since the 1930s and celebrates Alaskan life, highlighted by the running of the reindeer and sled-dog races that draw mushers from around the world.

"Still, ‘Rondy' has remained true to its roots with a lineup of outdoor sports such as snowshoe softball, ice hockey and a frostbite footrace," the magazine said about the Anchorage event slated Feb. 24 to Mar. 4.

Other winter carnivals making the top 10 list, in order, are Saranac Lake, N.Y.; Ottawa, Ontario, Canada; St. Paul, Minn.; Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario; Hanover, N.H.; Quebec, Canada; Sapporo, Japan; and Steamboat Springs, Colo.