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So what’s going on in Boise these days? Winter in Idaho is such a beautiful time of the year. Sure, we can get the hellacious snow storms, but the fun we have with them once they have settled out is hard to beat. The crisp air makes for one of the bluest skies you’ll ever set eyes on, and the foothills are ripe for snowshoeing and hiking. What makes life in Boise, or Idaho in general so great? Well according to Uncle Boise it’s the surrounding beauty and the people.
This year’s McCall Winter Carnival is a wonderful example of both. Tens of thousands of people show up for the nine day event all in the name of fun and friendly competition. One of the biggest draws are the snow sculptures. They are true works of art and can represent everything from the sublime to the ridiculous.
One in particular slated for this year, is a very unlikely entry, featuring a local merchant’s pest control company. Making an ugly subject fun, will be sure to get Riley’s pest control business attention with its ice ants and snowy termites.
Celebrating its 51st year, the McCall Winter Carnival with its larger than life snow sculptures depicting ingenious, entertaining and prideful creative expressions isn’t just for the locals. An estimated 60,000 visitors from all over the country will drop in during the nearly two week long celebration. The whole town gets in on the action with merchants partaking in parades, fireworks, opening special vendors’ fairs, craft booths and of course, the traditional beer garden.
Back in 1924 Boise held the Payette Lake Winter Games. The word got out and soon it’s reputation spread beyond to the little town of Boise. In the mid-60s a train from Boise with 248 visitors came to McCall and the Winter Games became even more of a social function.
Starting with the Childrens’ Torchlight Parade and ending with Diva Day at Brundage Mountain, and fireworks and good eats in between, there is hardly any time from beginning to end that there isn’t something worth attending going on. Since the first McCall Winter Carnival back 5 decades, it has been the winter event that makes the snowy, cold months a lot brighter and worth looking forward to.
I once heard a story about a man who stopped at a gas station in Boise, and when he went to pay his bill told the attendant that he was thinking of moving to the area. He asked the clerk, “What are the people like around here?” The cashier asked, “Well what were the people like where you came from?” The man replied that they were cold and stand-offish, not very community minded and not too willing to help a neighbor. The attendant replied “Well they are the same here.”
The point being that no matter where you go, there you are. You bring with you what you project, and that is reflected back in your experience. If you bring a good attitude with you, you’ll find the same attitude no matter where you move, or for that matter, play. Boise only wants more of the same. People who care about each other. Neighbors you know who have your back.
Community outreach programs which support the young and the old. So if you are one of those types of people, then you’ll recognize like-minded spirits here in the Boise area. Come take a good look at Boise through the eyes of the McCall Winter Carnival and see if we are a good fit for you. The Carnival is just a sampling of our beautiful State in a nutshell, and the nature of the Boise area is front and center.
