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A dusting of snow and a nip of cold have never deterred a true Badger from playing outside. Hoofers — UW–Madison’s resident expert on the joy of the great outdoors — knows this well. Since 1940, Hoofers has hosted the annual Winter Carnival, a weekend of frosty fun made up over the years of everything from ski trips and snowshoe hikes to bonfires and hot chocolate. Known in the past as Winter Week and Winterama, this UW tradition began between 1915 and 1920 as the Ice Carnival, under the leadership of the Wisconsin Student Board. Early Winter Carnivals featured events like ski jumping on Muir Knoll (the unofficial birthplace of Hoofers); broom hockey on the Terrace; ice sculpting on Bascom Hill; and the Snow Ball, an all-campus dance (thankfully, held indoors). Whether you dream of snowshoeing around a snowy campus or 3D printing your own snowflake, you can find your brand of seasonal fun at the Winter Carnival.

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