In St. Paul, Minn., the bitter cold of winter is something to celebrate. For decades, a winter carnival has brought residents from the warmth of their homes to take part in eight days of festivities at the end of January. The American City covered the event in the March 1940 issue, describing the usual parade of drum corps and bands, a king and queen crowning and marching clubs dressed in costumes and uniforms, culminating with the revelation of the year's ice palace. Located in the city's Como Park, officials and residents helped construct the frozen structure, which was comprised of 4,000 tons of ice blocks, each weighing 450 pounds. Following the event, the ice palace was destroyed for the safety of young residents who may have been eager to view the once-grand structure before it melted.

This year, from Jan. 23 to Feb. 3, St. Paul residents continued the city's winter tradition. Although an ice palace was not constructed for the 2008 carnival, two dozen ice castles have been constructed throughout the carnival's 122-year history, and 21 replicas were on display this year at the city's Landmark Center. More than 400,000 attendees enjoyed ice carving and snow sculpting competitions, races, and parades, and, this year, organizers added new events, including a golf tournament and a 35-story stair climb up the Wells Fargo building. In addition, the 12-day carnival was held during the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships and featured ice-skating exhibits and lessons.