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2016

Joe Soucheray: Bring back the Winter Carnival floats

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20140124__140125bbcut-norwayfloat_2.webp, Gordon Shumaker built this Whirlpool-sponsored float for the International Festival in Bergen, Norway. (Courtesy Steve Shumaker)
By JOE SOUCHERAY | jsoucheray@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer PressOne of Gordie Shumaker’s biggest Winter Carnival Grande Day parade floats was commission

Treasure Hunt fan sent bride-to-be on 8-day ring search

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WCRing_BryanGustavson_JessicaRushenberg_0.webp, Bryan Gustavson proposed to his longtime girlfriend Jessica Rushenberg by a mini treasure hunt whose final clue led her to the gazebo in Irvine Park i
By JAIME DELAGE | jdelage@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer PressJessica Rushenberg waited years for her high school sweetheart to pop the question, so it se

St. Paul had some amazing ice palaces - here they are

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Mini-ice-palace-and-historical-photos-of-palaces012.webp, The 1986 ice palace near Lake Phalen was assembled with the help of 1,000 volunteers. The 128-foot-tall spectacle drew hundreds of thousands of visito
By NICK WOLTMAN | nwoltman@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer Press
Over its 130-year history, the Winter Carnival has brought 36 Ice Palaces to St. Paul — some more palatial than others.This year’s palace in Rice Park
Mini-ice-palace002seqn.webp, Crews construct a mini ice palace in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, Sunday, January 24, 2016. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi), Mini-ice-palace003seqn.webp, Joe Vanek of Hinckley helps build a round room on one side of the mini ice palace in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, Sunday, January 24, 2016. (Pionee, Mini-ice-palace001seqn.webp, Jim Brown uses a chainsaw to cut ice blocks to size, as Dan Klingner looks on, as crews build the mini ice palace in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, S, Mini-ice-palace004seqn.webp, helps build the mini ice palace in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, Sunday, January 24, 2016. (Pioneer Press: Scott Takushi), Mini-ice-palace005seqn.webp, Rob Graham stacks up ice blocks for one of the Four Winds sculptures which will ring the mini ice palace in Rice Park in downtown St. Paul, Sunday, Ja, Mini-ice-palace006seqn.webp, A stack of ice blocks will be carved into a South Wind sculpture of a bull and caballero, one of the Four Winds sculptures at the four corners of Rice, Mini-ice-palace-and-historical-photos-of-palaces007-L.jpg, Carnival-goers walk past the 2004 Ice Palace, Mini-ice-palace-and-historical-photos-of-palaces009-L.jpg, The 2004 Ice Palace is illuminated after dark, Mini-ice-palace-and-historical-photos-of-palaces013-L.jpg, Vulcans and the Royal Family do battle outside an ice palace, Mini-ice-palace-and-historical-photos-of-palaces016.jpg, A main paints an Ice Palace model, Mini-ice-palace-and-historical-photos-of-palaces010-L.jpg, Carnival-goers sit on the ice throne outside the 2004 Ice Palace
But there have been plenty of impressive Ice Palaces in past years. From the Pioneer Press archives, here are 14 of the most spectacular:1886: Origina

Could these treasure hunters find the medallion early?

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20160124__160125Hunt1A.webp, First-time treasure hunter Matt Foster searches Sunday, Jan. 24, 2016, at Indian Mounds Regional Park in St. Paul. (Pioneer Press: Jaime DeLage)
By JAIME DELAGE | jdelage@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer PressThe annual Pioneer Press Treasure Hunt kicked off over the weekend, and while the first clue

Joe Soucheray: Rumor has it Minneapolis wants our ice castle. It can just chill

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wpid-20141126__1-StPaulChristmas_wintercarnival_StPaul_skybox.webp, (Courtesy of wintercarnival.com)
By JOE SOUCHERAY | jsoucheray@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer PressAnd speaking of rumors: Joe Soucheray does not – repeat, does not – write the Pioneer Pr

Queen of the Snows candidates have one thing in common: hot cocoa

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2015QueenofSnows_KrystleIgbo-Ogbonna.webp, 2015’s Aurora, Queen of the Snows Krystle Igbo-Ogbonna. (Pioneer Press: John Autey)
By MOLLY GUTHREY | mguthrey@pioneerpress.com | Pioneer PressOne of these 18 candidates will soon be crowned Aurora, Queen of the Snows of the 2016 St.

The Deed is Done

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When January's slanting snowMakes us dream of Mexico,Saint Paul emerges from wintry sleepTo search for treasure buried deep.Notice to every hunting ba