"Through Ice and Snow, to Space We Go" is the theme for Michigan Technological University's 2026 Winter Carnival, rocketing the campus, community and visitors into a galaxy of winter games and festivities.
Winter Carnival begins with the All-Nighter on Wednesday, Feb. 4, and continues through Saturday, Feb. 7. The thematic homage to aerospace achievements and the Husky tendency to lead exploration of new frontiers promises to transform Michigan Tech's wintry campus in Houghton into an astronautical array of huge and intricate snow statues. Other highlights include a new Wednesday night drone show and a crowd favorite, fireworks over Tech's Mont Ripley Ski Area on Saturday night.
As it has since 1934, Blue Key National Honor Society, a student organization composed of outstanding scholars and leaders, is staging and managing every aspect of Carnival. The point person for this year's event is Blue Key President Andrew Hemstreet '26. The electrical engineering major offered a rundown on new and returning events and how his experiences as a student are helping him to lead the select group of Huskies who put on one of the top-rated winter festivals in the region.
"I'm hoping to create a welcoming and magical feeling for all attendees. Between the towering snow statues, drones lighting up the sky, students performing on stage, broomball, SnoBall and fireworks, Winter Carnival stands out as an event as unique as Michigan Tech!"
It's fitting that just as the 2026 Winter Olympics are set to kick off on Friday, Feb. 6, Blue Key has decided to change the name of Carnival's special events to "Winter Games." Hemstreet said the shift more accurately reflects the spirit of camaraderie and competition that characterizes the contests. Points won during the games help determine Winter Carnival's overall champion.
A new game will also be launched. Hungry Hungry Huskies has been added to the lineup that includes broomball, human dogsled racing, human ice bowling, and tug of war, along with cross-country and downhill skiing, snowboarding, curling, and speed skating.
Hungry Hungry Huskies will run similarly to the popular family game Hungry Hungry Hippos but with an icy twist.
History of a Husky Tradition
Winter Carnival turns 104 this year. What began as a one-night Ice Carnival has turned into a week-long extravaganza that draws thousands to the area.
- Get the full Winter Carnival schedule.
- Brush up on Winter Carnival history.
- Explore past Winter Carnival themes and logos.
- Watch Michigan Tech Winter Carnival videos on YouTube.
- Check out the Winter Carnival website for a look at all the statue winners after judging on Thursday, Feb. 5.
"The basic idea for the game is that players will be on inner tubes on the rink, trying to catch as many plastic balls on the ice as they can with a laundry basket," said Hemstreet, noting that the game suggestion came from community member Amelia Sander, who also provided a starter set of rules. "We cannot wait to see our fellow Huskies battle it out on the ice!" Hemstreet added.
Hungry Hungry Huskies will also help to support the Husky Food Access Network, or HuskyFAN, the on-campus student and community food pantry, by accepting donations of dry goods, meal bases, cooking staples, cash donations, hygiene products and cleaning supplies.
In addition, a longtime favorite is making a comeback: ice fishing returns to Winter Carnival as a community event. Hemstreet said the revival was a joint effort spearheaded by the Michigan Tech Fishing Club. Both students and community members are welcome to drop a line for the catch-and-release competition on Portage Lake. Results won't be included as part of the points system for those vying for the Carnival championship, but will add to the fun. Hemstreet said that if there's a good response, Blue Key will consider adding it back to the official roster of Winter Games next year.
As Always, Carnival All-Nighter Amps Up the Excitement
While Winter Carnival's Royalty Coronation and other events happen beforehand, Wednesday night's All-Nighter marks Carnival's official kickoff. The All-Nighter is an epic marathon in which Huskies go all-out to complete their snow statues for judging early Thursday morning. This year, Blue Key has added a drone show, set for 11:15 p.m. during what is typically one of the busiest evenings on campus, as Huskies work to put the finishing touches on complex month-long statue entries or build one-night statue entries from scratch.
"In keeping with our space theme, we wanted to try out a new drone show that will take to the skies near the lower side of the Dow Building on campus," said Hemstreet. "Our Blue Key Secretary Brynn Santi ('26, psychology) has been working hard to plan out the design for the show, which includes helicopters, spaceships, UFOs and much more that you won't want to miss!"
Statue builders will be fueled by enthusiastic onlookers, cheers emanating from the broomball rinks, and the warmth of hot chocolate, chili and custom fire cages built by mechanical engineering technology students, which are stocked by College of Forest Resources and Environmental Science students and tended by Tech alumni. Participants and visitors will get another late evening boost from music spread across campus by the Audio Engineering Society's iconic snow speakers and a rotating list of DJs.
Carnival touches every college, program and department on campus, from a curated Michigan Tech Archives exhibit to the work of Tech's geospatial engineering students, who produce lidar-scanned 3D renderings of the statues, adding a new method for preserving the artifacts of the University's most beloved tradition.
A Husky Tradition of Leadership, Organization and Grit
This is Hemstreet's third year in Blue Key. During his first year, he served as Carnival Stage Revue chair. His role shifted to alumni and member relations chair on the Blue Key Executive Board last year before being elected president this year.
It's a demanding position for a busy student with a demanding course load and extracurriculars, including his work on Michigan Tech's Alternative Energy Enterprise team and internships. But Hemstreet said it's worth it.
"I originally joined Blue Key to challenge myself and grow my leadership and problem-solving skills," he said. "In my first year, our Blue Key chapter was smaller than usual, which put some additional stress on our members. Over the past two years, I've had the opportunity to help the organization grow and, more importantly, establish more leadership development opportunities for our members."
"Despite my busy schedule, I wanted to take on the role of president to continue my goal of making our chapter more fun and rewarding for our members," said Hemstreet. "I also wanted to give back to the organization that has helped me the most over my time here at Michigan Tech. There is something truly special about being able to see behind the scenes of Winter Carnival, and watch as the hard work of our 35 members comes together in a spectacular fashion."
"My favorite part of being in Blue Key is watching our members grow as people while also getting a behind-the-scenes look at what we have in store for each Winter Carnival. My favorite part of Carnival is getting to see people's hidden talents," he said.
"You never know which Huskies know how to craft a snow statue or are talented enough to perform a skit in Stage Revue. Carnival is a great outlet to showcase some of our students' more unique abilities."
Leaning Into Engineering Lessons and Expert Advice
Hemstreet's current project in the Alternative Energy Enterprise is a solar consulting project, with the team evaluating a site for a potential large-scale installation of a solar array.
"From this project, I worked with teammates to analyze different forms of technologies on the site to maximize energy output. In a similar manner, I always try to get multiple opinions from the Blue Key Executive Board and members before making large decisions to ensure all angles are considered and the best possible outcome is reached," said Hemstreet.
Another challenge, meeting current standards while also innovating a developing technology, is also applicable to his Blue Key role.
"Sometimes what has worked in the past is not the best solution and thinking outside of the box can allow us to grow as an organization," he said.
Hemstreet also drew on lessons from his internship last summer at Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories.
"I had an amazing opportunity testing distance protection on relays, and I learned a lot about how we protect the grid from faults and other hazards," he said. "The most important thing I learned was how to identify problems and troubleshoot faults. This naturally extends to our Blue Key planning process as some situations require us to take a step back and analyze various solutions before reaching a conclusion."
"In Blue Key, planning is everything, which is why we strategize for our next Winter Carnival starting in March of the previous year," said Hemstreet. "We're very deliberate with our strategy, not just focused on putting on the next Carnival, but also working to recognize weak points and improve along the way. I hope to take these combined experiences into the workforce as I start a job as a substation engineer at Black & Veatch after graduation."
Hemstreet said he's been fortunate to work closely with two previous Blue Key presidents.
"A piece of advice from our 2024-25 president Skyler Spitzley ('25, supply chain and operations management) that has stuck with me the most is to 'make myself a resource to all members,'" he said. "I try to live by this rule by ensuring that all members feel comfortable asking me any questions they have both in and outside of their Blue Key duties. When I don't have an immediate answer, I speak with others on my team to get to a solution. The ultimate goal of Blue Key is for our members to grow as leaders and to develop into young professionals."
Joe Dlugos '24, an environmental engineering graduate who served Blue Key president in both the 2022-23 and 2023-24 academic years, also offered Hemstreet guidance he carries with him.
"A strong piece of advice I received from Joe was to 'go with the flow,'" he said. "Even though planning for Winter Carnival is a year-round task, there will always be something that changes at the last minute. A good president can accommodate these changes, and support members to keep the situation under control."
In keeping with the wisdom he picked up from his predecessors, Hemstreet had a message for his teammates: "To my fellow Blue Key members, keep on keeping on! We're almost at the finish line and you have all been doing a great job this year setting up and improving on Winter Carnival. I'm truly grateful for all your contributions and I cannot wait to see how the final event turns out!"
Though Winter Carnival is an enjoyable and much-needed break for Huskies, Hemstreet also hopes that everyone who is able to attend will come and experience the best parts of this proud and beloved Michigan Tech tradition.
"The thing that I hope our visitors enjoy the most is the warming atmosphere of Michigan Tech and Houghton, showing that even in the harsh winter months, our communities can come together and celebrate each other and the snow!"
Michigan Technological University is an R1 public research university founded in 1885 in Houghton, and is home to nearly 7,500 students from more than 60 countries around the world. Consistently ranked among the best universities in the country for return on investment, Michigan's flagship technological university offers more than 185 undergraduate and graduate degree programs in science and technology, engineering, computing, forestry, business, health professions, humanities, mathematics, social sciences, and the arts. The rural campus is situated just miles from Lake Superior in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, offering year-round opportunities for outdoor adventure.
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