From Feb. 5 to Feb. 8, “The Blizzard of Oz” will take the Dartmouth community on a hot air balloon ride to the “Wicked Cold” 116th Winter Carnival, a weekend of winter festivities inspired by the world of “The Wonderful Wizard of Oz” and its spin-offs.
This year’s theme celebrates both the classic “Wizard of Oz” story and the recently-released movie adaptation of the “Wicked” musical, according to Winter Carnival Council co-chair Ivy Wydler ’28.
The council picked the “Wizard of Oz” theme from over 50 proposed ideas because the franchise has “been really in the social realm” since the release of the “Wicked” movies in 2024 and 2025, Wydler said.
“We thought this would be a great time to capitalize on all the excitement around it and bring a fun throwback with ‘Wizard of Oz’ to Winter Carnival,” Wydler said.
In addition to the annual Polar Bear Plunge and ice sculpture carving competition, “The Blizzard of Oz: Wicked Cold” Winter Carnival will feature a schedule of themed events, including dance troupe performances at the OzDust Ball, the return of Frost Lights at BEMA and screenings of “Wizard of Oz” spinoff movies at the Hopkins Center for the Arts.
Wydler, who is in charge of running and organizing the Polar Bear Plunge, said the weather is “looking pretty good” for the ice on Occom Pond to allow the activity.
The theme’s emphasis on a variety of “Wizard of Oz”-related works aims to make the celebrations accessible beyond Dartmouth students, Winter Carnival Council member Elizabeth Coan ’28 added. While older generations may not be aware of the current “pop culture moment” surrounding the “Wicked” movies, they can likely relate to the theme through “The Wizard of Oz” movie instead, she said.
“An important thing about Winter Carnival is that it’s not just for Dartmouth, but it’s also for the alumni and … the greater Hanover community,” Coan said.
Coan added that she is looking forward to the winter term Frost Lights at BEMA, which will be integrated at BEMA into Winter Carnival festivities for the first time, with “Over the Rainbow”-themed light and sound installations every night from Feb. 5 to Feb. 7. Frost Lights is a “low commitment” opportunity for community members to participate in Winter Carnival events and see the council’s creative interpretation of the theme, Coan said.
The Winter Carnival Council is also hosting smaller activities throughout the weekend to encourage participation in the festivities. In the “Wicked” ticket challenge, students who submit pictures of themselves at certain events will earn their “heart, brain, courage and home,” in a nod to the “Wizard of Oz” story, Wydler said. Participants who earn all four tickets will receive an exclusive Winter Carnival sticker and be entered in a raffle for “Wicked” Broadway tickets along with other special prizes.
Council co-chair Eloise Taylor ’28 added that the Winter Carnival opening celebration, which she helped plan, will feature food inspired by “Wicked” and a build-a-bear activity inspired by the animals of the “Wizard of Oz.”
The Winter Carnival Council has also partnered with organizations across campus on Winter Carnival events. For example, the Hopkins Center will screen “Wizard of Oz” spin-offs “The Wiz,” “Wicked” and “Wicked: For Good” and co-host an Aca-lympics a capella showcase and Winter OZlympics opening ceremony watch party, programming initiatives director Johanna Evans said.
While the Hopkins Center typically partners with students to host Winter Carnival events, this year involved “more extensive programming” for an additional Winter Carnival concert featuring musician Kishi Bashi, Evans added.
“It’s not connected to the Oz theme, but when we were planning out the Hopkins Center programming and the date aligned, we thought, hey, why don’t we try this out and see if this adds to Winter Carnival in the same way that the special concerts for Green Key make that weekend extra awesome,” Evans said.
Meanwhile, the Outdoors Program Office is hosting two Winter Fun Days at the Dartmouth Outing Club, where students can rent skates, make s’mores around fire pits and sled, according to OPO director Katie Colleran.
She added that the office is currently in conversation with the Collis Center about potentially leading lamplit tours and hikes to the Frost Lights at BEMA.
“The fact that the pond is frozen solid right now, there’s snow on the ground, it’s really wintry out … makes Winter Carnival really amazing,” Colleran said.
Kelsey Wang is a reporter and editor for The Dartmouth from the greater Seattle area, majoring in history and government. Outside of The D, she likes to crochet, do jigsaw puzzles and paint.
