A New Direction for Winter Carnival 

Once a beloved tradition of Winter Carnival, the yearly sculpture of grand proportions on the Green has quietly faded into the history books as the former quintessential symbol of the weekend. Whether due to diminishing quantities of snow or a lack of motivation, these impressive sculptures that once depicted figures ranging from Captain Ahab to the Cat and the Hat no longer serve to anchor the weekend’s festivities. In response, the winter carnival council has placed central emphasis upon another tradition, one they hope will come to represent the highlight of the weekend’s events and rival the iconic nature of the former statues. Enter “Frost Lights: Over the Rainbow.” After a hiatus in 2025, the tradition of Frost Lights will return this year in bigger and brighter fashion than ever. In keeping with this year’s theme “The Blizzard of Oz,” this immersive and interactive light show will invite participants to a half-mile stroll through the woods behind Observatory Hill with surroundings covered in all things aglow. According to members of the Winter Carnival council, there will be a smoke machine and a projector displaying a prophetic wizard’s head that answers questions in ‘magic 8-ball fashion,’ to name just a few of the attractions. The event will be open to the public from the evening of February 6th through February 8th, with all students, Hanover residents, and Upper Valley neighbors alike encouraged to swing by. Whether or not the Frost Lights event can come to be the staple of the weekend remains to be seen, but there is no doubt that some event or iconic image is needed to resurrect the hype that once surrounded Winter Carnival weekend. Compared to the other two celebratory weekends of the academic year—Homecoming and Green Key—Winter Carnival simply does not seem to generate the same level of excitement. Perhaps it is the cold weather that keeps excitement at bay or the event’s more general lack of direction that prevents students from fully getting behind it. In a striking parallelism to the recent Homecoming light show in place of the traditional bonfire, it would appear as though monuments and centralized spectacles are out and interactive light shows are in. The 2025-2026 academic year may just go down in history as the brightest Dartmouth’s ever seen, with all three prominent weekends featuring flashy light shows in their festivities. At this rate it won’t be long before we’re seeing “Sanborn Tea, now with an interactive light show!”