ST. PAUL -- The "Coolest Celebration on Earth" starts Thursday in St. Paul.

The 133rd Winter Carnival is the oldest winter festival in the United States, predating the Tournament of Roses Festival by two years.

Spokeswoman Deb Schaber says it all started in 1886.

There was a reporter that came from New York to visit St. Paul and basically went back to his readers and said that it was a horrible place to live and be.  So the businesses in St. Paul decided to get together and throw a winter celebration and show the world that winter is cool.

Some highlights this weekend include the Royal Coronation on Friday night, the King Boreas Grand Day Parade on Saturday afternoon, and the ice carving competition on Sunday.

The St. Paul Winter Carnival runs through Sunday, February 3rd.

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