By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Frosty the Snowman has nothing on Bonhomme Carnaval, the iconic snowman of Quebec’s Winter Carnival. Like Frosty, Bonhomme invites children of all ages to come out and play in his fantastic winter wonderland every year.

Since it began in 1894, the Carnaval de Quebec has grown into the largest winter carnival in the world. Since then, the inhabitants of New France have enjoyed getting together just before Lent to eat, drink and be merry.

This year’s grand celebration offered more than 200 events from Jan. 30 to Feb. 15. Last year, the carnival drew more than 520,000 visitors, with almost half coming from outside the region. The Carnaval has become the city’s biggest tourist draw.