Minions, Mallows, and Mountains: Winter Carnival 2026

From festive campus gatherings to fresh powder at Winter Park, students enjoyed every moment of this favorite DU tradition. 

As students head into the downhill stretch of winter quarter, they are riding the momentum of last week’s Winter Carnival festivities.  

One of DU’s favorite traditions, the weeklong event was a big success for DU’s Programming Board (DUPB), beginning with fun nightly activities on campus and concluding with the grand finale at Winter Park Resort. There was something for everyone, with crowd-pleasing favorites and creative twists on classic activities. 

The carnival comes to campus

This year’s on-campus events kicked off with Mellow Mallow, where students were treated to an array of sweet treats, including a chocolate fountain with all of the fixings; a hot cocoa bar complete with marshmallows, candy canes, syrups, and more; and brightly colored sugar cookies.

While they indulged themselves, some students got their skis waxed for free by the DU Outdoors team. Others stopped by the photo booth to capture some memories and walked away with photo strip souvenirs. There was also a DUPB care package station, where students chose from moisturizing sheet masks, lip balms, stress-relief toys, fuzzy socks, and other self-care items. 

Sophie Robinson, a second-year majoring in socio-legal studies and co-chair of DUPB’s Classics Committee, described the event as an exciting start to the week. “It's really fun to see people come to the events that we plan and bring to life—everyone is enjoying the chocolate fountain, hanging out with their friends, and having fun in the photo booth,” she said. 

On Tuesday, Mocktails and Main Characters transformed the scenic fourth floor of the Community Commons into a makeshift casino, with alcohol-free drinks and some curious characters mingling about.

The stars of the show? A minion, Spiderman, and Rapunzel, who chatted with students and took photos. Arlo Frost, a DUPB Traditions Committee member and second-year majoring in English and art, took it all in, saying, “These actors are so funny, the people at the casino are so professional, and the duality creates such a lively atmosphere.” 

The weekday events wrapped up with Disco on Ice at DU’s beloved Magness Arena. Students in sparkling silver hats slipped and skated across the ice while throwback tunes provided the soundtrack for the night. Students who came hungry happily helped themselves to the fresh hot Cane’s provided by DUPB. 

While waiting in line for the food, some students stepped aside to add even more sparkle to the event by getting their faces painted with swirls, glitter accents, and little pops of color.

Over the weekend, once many students had departed for the mountains, DUPB officially marked the end of Winter Carnival with a Sip and Paint event, back by very popular demand. 

Snow at last!

On Thursday, students started making their way to Winter Park and were met with a pleasant surprise: a generous snowfall, perfect for skiing, snowboarding, and tubing.

Aubrie Anderson, a third-year studying marketing and co-chair of the Traditions Committee, says students being able to enjoy everything that Winter Park offers is what makes Winter Carnival so special. “It’s an opportunity for those who can't make it up to the mountains all the time to have that experience with their friends, at a discounted price,” she said. “It also creates a lot of school spirit, and we need that after midterms and before finals—it brings everybody together.” 

While students were gathered in the mountains, DUPB hosted a cozy game night with pizza and crafts, and Graduate Student Government added to the festivities with a graduate student lunch. 

Between the slope-shredding and nonstop smiles, Winter Carnival was a hit once again. Check out some of the best moments below!