Eric Barone's classic farming sim, Stardew Valley allows players to jump into a simple life of agriculture; growing crops, completing quests, and romancing the NPC's of the titular town. The in-game year is broken into four seasons and each one comes with its own challenges and special events.
During the winter, players will receive an invitation to the town's annual Festival of Ice. Here, players find the whole town enjoying the winter snow with ice sculptures, snowmen, igloos, and an ice fishing contest. There are many rewards to gain from taking part in the celebrations, as well as unique encounters with the NPCs.
When is the Festival of Ice in Stardew Valley?
After players have harvested their Autumn crops and thhey begin to hunker down for winter, they will receive an invitation in their mailbox from the town's mayor. The letter invites the player to join Mayor Lewis and the rest of the town in a celebration of winter at the annual Festival of Ice.
Stardew Valley: 28 Ways To Maximize Winter
It's difficult to farm during winter in Stardew Valley, but there's still plenty to do - here are some tips for getting the most out of wintertime.
This invitation is received on the 7th of Winter every year, with the Festival of Ice starting the next day, on the 8th. The festivities can be attended at any time between 9 am and 2 pm, providing plenty of time to finish morning chores and put the farm in order before joining in. If for any reason the player should miss the Festival, they will always be able to attend next year on the same day.
The Whole Town Will Be Shut
The annual Festival of Ice is attended by the entire town, making it a great opportunity to socialize with certain villagers outside of their usual schedules. Each of the townsfolk will have their own preferred activity that will determine where they can be found in the snow-covered forest.
With everyone enjoying the celebrations, the player will not be able to enter any houses or shops as they will all be closed for the day. It is worth remembering to plan around this and pick up any necessary supplies the day before or after the festivities. There are special shops at the festival selling unique items, and all the regular services will be open again the next day at their usual times.
Where is the Festival of Ice?
Attending the winter celebration is optional, however, with the whole town shut for the day, players may not have anything else to do. The invitation from Mayor Lewis specifies that the event will start outside Marnie's house.
Players can join the Festival of Ice by entering Cindersap Forest within the allotted time. This is an area that many will have visited before, so it shouldn't take long to explore the festival and see all the different events.
The main event is the fishing competition which is held by the large lake in the center of the forest. The player is automatically returned to their farm at 10 pm, after Mayor Lewis announces the winner of the fishing contest.
The Travelling Merchant Has Her Own Stall
Occasionally, while players are exploring the town, foraging for items, or just going about their day, they may encounter a lady in a purple cart pulled by a pig wearing sunglasses and a fez. This enigmatic pair are none other than the staff of the Traveling Cart of Stardew Valley, which sells a variety of special items. The Cart's stock changes constantly, and it has a specific set of items available at various festivals, so it is worth keeping an eye out for the iconic carriage.
During the Festival of Ice, the traveling merchants can be found in an igloo to the left of the frozen lake. The Cart's Festival of Ice stock will include winter-themed items, including pumpkin soup. The player can also purchase the snowman rarecrow here for 2,000 gold. These are unique scarecrows that can be acquired in specific locations throughout the in-game year.
Here's a full list of the Traveling Cart's winter stock:
|
Item |
Price |
Function |
|---|---|---|
|
Pumpkin Soup |
250g |
Restores 200 health and 90 energy; provides a Defense +2 and Luck +2 buff for 7m41s. |
|
Stuffing |
200g |
Restores 170 health and 76 energy; provides a Defense +2 buff for 5m35s. |
|
Cranberry Sauce |
200g |
Restores 125 health and 56 energy; provides a Mining +2 buff for 3m30s. |
|
Winter End Table |
1,000g |
Furniture |
|
Wall Sconce |
1,000g |
Wall-hanging furniture |
|
Icy Banner |
800g |
Wall-hanging furniture |
|
Winter Dining Table |
3,000g |
Furniture |
|
Icy Rug |
4,000g |
Furniture (rug) |
|
'Frozen Dreams' |
2,000g |
Wall-hanging furniture |
|
Wallpaper |
500g |
This specific wallpaper has a holly pattern on a red background |
|
Tree of the Winter Star |
5,000g |
Furniture |
|
Rarecrow #4 of 8 |
5,000g |
Keeps crows away from crops in a circular area of 249 spaces |
How To Win The Fishing Contest
Of all the activities during the Festival, the ice fishing competition is arguably the most important. To win this contest, players need to catch five fish during the allotted time, which is more difficult than it initially sounds. The first time players win, they will receive a Barbed Hook, a Dressed Spinner, a Magnet, and a Sailor's Cap, all of which can be useful for catching fish.
The Barbed Hook keeps the fishing bar close to the fish when reeling it in, the Dressed Spinner reduces bite times, the Magnet increases the chance of finding Treasure Chests, and the Sailor's Cap puts the player in the angling mindset.
In subsequent years, winning the fishing competition will award the player with a Prize Ticket.
Stardew Valley Fishing: Every Type Of Lure And Bait
Wondering what that Curiosity Lure does? Need to know how to use Bait? We've got all the answers.
A common mistake during this challenge is for players to stand too far away from their hole in the ice. The holes are quite small, which makes casting into them very difficult, especially from a distance. In order to maximize their number of catches, players should stand right next to the hole and use minimum casting strength to drop their tackle right into the water.
The player will be forced to use a stock fishing rod during the event, so they won't be able to equip tackle or bait.
It is important to note that a fish only counts toward a player's score after the catching animation has been completed (when it flies from the water to the player's hand). If a perfect catch is landed but the time runs out before the animation finishes, it will not be counted toward the final score.
Multiple Prizes For Multiple Players
Stardew Valley's split-screen co-op mode allows players to join their friends in farming and completing missions. If multiple players enter the ice fishing contest, they do not have to compete against each other, as every player who catches enough fish will receive their own prize. As long a player catches the necessary five fish, they will either receive the primary reward of fishing gear, or, if they have already won in previous years, a Prize Ticket.
Reference To Godzilla And Calvin & Hobbes
Stardew Valley is a game with a quirky sense of humor and there are many references to famous films, comics, and other video games for players to find as they explore. There are two references players can find at the Festival of Ice, which make for nice Easter eggs if the player is familiar with where they come from.
At the end of the fishing competition, Mayor 
Lewis will conclude the event by saying "Wow, that's a lot of fish." While seemingly innocuous, this is actually a line from the 1998 Godzilla movie and it is possible that ConcernedApe included it as a deliberate reference.
Another possible allusion to popular culture is when the player asks Abigail about her snowman and she describes it as a snowgoon. This may be a hidden reference to the Calvin & Hobbes comic, 'Attack of the Deranged, Mutant, Killer, Monster Snowgoons.' Sebastian also mentions snowgoons in dialogue outside of the event, where he says Demetrius made him get rid of a snowgoon he built. This might be a reference to how the Calvin & Hobbes snowgoons were gory, violent, and awful to look at.