Truckee’s Winter Carnival has had quite the storied ups and downs. First introduced in 1895, out of economic necessity, the Carnival captured the relevance of Truckee during the winter months. Truckee was not just a logging town but was a true ‘rowdy’ community with fun activities to be had all year long. The winter months traditionally brought a slowdown of jobs, people and money. It was C.F. McGlashan who figured out that Truckee offered much more all year long.

The Transcontinental Railroad changed everything for the small community, then known as Coburn’s Station. Truckee actually did not become a town until 1868 when the railroad named the new town after the river and did not incorporate until 1993. C.F. McGlashan saw the value and future of this town and poured his heart into making it a destination.

Like so many great plans, Mother Nature got in the way. Bringing back McGlashan’s vision depends on snow, weather and keeping the spirit of the town. So this year the Museum of Truckee History is focusing on events we can control. The schedule is shorter but so rich with history that it is an event you don’t want to miss.

Truckee Winter Carnival Today

The 2026 Historic Truckee Winter Carnival has been trimmed down to two spectacular events.

Friday, March 27

The first starts on Friday, March 27th where we will have the annual historic costume photo. This will be followed by the showing of the Buster Keaton silent movie “Steamboat Bill Jr”. Why a silent movie? They were the beginning of shared social media. Movies brought people together and sound was still a work in progress. These old movies highlight what people were going through during that time.

Steamboat Bill Jr. is a silly story of a college kid who comes to visit his estranged father who is a burley, no-nonsense Steamboat captain. It is a timeless story of learning compromise and appreciation. The people who love history will enjoy that the movie has vintage cars, a steam train and a steamboat.

Making these movies timeless is real work. Dr. Heidi Kuzma is a brilliant musician growing up on classic show tunes and jazz from the 1930s and 40s. She is talented in many instruments but did not go back to the piano until recently.

Dr. Heidi went through various techniques on how to hear the music with the film. Earbuds were her saving grace since she could communicate with the team to coordinate with her.

Dr. Kuzma is supported by Alice Osborn on guitar and ukelele. The Truckee Mountain Belles, the local fabulous women’s quartet, will be on hand as will the Tahoe Truckee Community Band playing true Dixieland music.

Saturday, March 28

The fun doesn’t stop with two new incredible presentations from renowned authors on Truckee sports.

The first presentation is from David Antonucci. David will present ‘Magic in the Mountains — The 1960 Winter Olympics’.

“In 1960, the world’s eyes focused on Olympic Valley and Lake Tahoe as the Winter Olympics unfolded on a world stage. Athletes from a world locked in the epic Cold War converged to compete and share the spirit and ideals of the Olympic movement. For 11 days, 665 athletes from 30 countries gathered to compete in five recognized Olympic winter sports across 27 events. CBS broadcast live events, plus the pageantry and artistic expression of the opening and closing ceremonies, produced by the legendary Walt Disney.”

David Antonucci is a retired civil and environmental engineer and a 51-year resident of the Lake Tahoe region. He has written and published five books on the history and natural science of Lake Tahoe. Autographed copies of his award-winning book, Snowball’s Chance — The Story of the 1960 Olympic Winter Games, will be available for purchase, with a portion of sales benefitting the Truckee-Donner Historical Society. Antonucci’s appearance is made possible by the SNOW Sports Museum Foundation of Olympic Valley.

The second presentation is from our local and much appreciated historical acumen Mark McLaughlin. Mark will present ‘The Beginning of Winter Sports’.

“The Tahoe Sierra is the birthplace of downhill skiing in America. By 1860 gold miners and their families were ski racing for fun and prize money. Reaching 90 mph they were the fastest humans on the planet! In 1895 Truckee established an Ice Carnival to boost its winter economy. By the 1930s athletes were ski jumping in Berkeley and San Francisco. The history of winter sports is a wild ride that captured the imagination of our nation.”

Mark McLaughlin is a renowned Lake Tahoe historian, author and photographer who has lived in the region for over 40 years. He has written over 750 articles and 7 books on Sierra Nevada history, weather and culture. He is the author of Snowbound! Legendary Winters of the Tahoe Sierra and Longboards to Olympics: A Century of Tahoe Winter Sports.

About the author:

Judy DePuy is a member of the Truckee-Donner Historical Society and a board member of the Museum of Truckee History. She resides in Truckee with her husband, Dave, and their Belgian Sheepdog, Morticia.