SAINT PAUL VULCANS

A Family Friendly Organization

“Vulcanus the True Fire King of the Winter Carnival and His Vulcan Krewe are Determined to Defeat Boreas Again and Bring Warmth to the People of Saint Paul.”

THE VULCANS LEGEND

The Vulcans. At some point in your life you’ve encountered them. Grown men who, with the notable exception of their villainous black goggles and boots, clad themselves entirely in red, from their jumpsuits and capes to their red rooster caps while hanging on the back of their firetruck Lavurne – screaming “Hail the Vulk.” These are the Saint Paul Vulcans. Maybe you’ve seen them drawing mustaches or Vs on kids at a parade.

Maybe they’ve drawn one on you. Or they appeared out of nowhere while you were looking at ice sculptures at the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, or smudged you at a parade, and then made off into the night on the back of their red fire truck. So who are these guys, where did they come from, and why on earth do they exist? Well this mischievous Vulcan Krewe brings endless joy, laughter and fun to the Winter Carnival each and every year.

Come Closer and Listen. I will tell you a tale, a legend of two kings who lived on Mount Olympus. The first is Boreas, King of the Winds. A king who loved wind, snow and most of all, cold. King Boreas had four brothers and he assigned a wind to each. To his brother Titan he assigned the blustery North Wind. To Euros he gave the Irresponsible East Wind. Zephyrus was assigned the bountiful West Wind. He assigned the Balmy South Wind to Notos. King Boreas, while on his travels, came upon a winter paradise known as Minnesota. He paused to enjoy the enchanting beauty of a magnificent group of seven gently sloping hills in whose embrace nestled a beautiful city, St. Paul. Boreas whistled in pure ecstasy, “An ideal place. I will make St. Paul the capital of all my domains. It will henceforth be known to the world as the winter playground of the realm of Boreas.” Boreas declared, “There will be a carnival in old St. Paul.” It would be 10 days of feasting, dancing, fun and frolic. The second King was Vulcanus. He was the King of Fire & Warmth. Knowing the people of Old St. Paul had grown weary of the long, cold winter he was determined to defeat Boreas and once again bring warmth to the people of St. Paul. Vulcanus gathered his closest advisors to prepare to do battle with the evil Boreas and his Royal Guard. There was General Flameous – The Keeper of Flame, Baron Hot Sparkus – The Commander of the Lancer’s Legion, Grand Duke Fertilious – Minister of Propaganda, Count of Ashes – Raiser of Sleeping Spirits, Count Embrious – The King’s Chancellor of the Exchequer, Duke of Klinker – The King’s Aide de Camp and the Prince of Soot – The Wise One. “By the great sword of Mars”, Vulcanus exclaimed, “We will free the good people of St. Paul from the icy grip of Boreas.” They drew up a plan of battle and planned a great Coming Out for the next morning. The attack to free the people of St. Paul would begin. Meanwhile, Boreas had selected a Prime Minister to coordinate preparations with all the provinces and royal houses within the realm of St. Paul. The fairest maiden of the realm was selected to be the Queen of Snows; each of his brothers was accompanied by a lovely Princess of the realm, and Klondike Kate, a Lady of Song and merriment, added her sassy but enchanting voice to the festivities. Kate, however, was secretly allied with Vulcanus. Throughout the 10 days of carnival Vulcanus Rex and his Mighty Krewe battled Boreas and his civil Royal Guard. With each battle he gained many new supporters among the people. On the 10th day of Carnival, Vulcanus and his Mighty Krewe stormed the Ice Palace and confronted the Royal Guard. Notos, the Prince of the South Wind, had grown tired of the snow and cold and defected to Vulcanus’s side. Upon good counsel of the Queen and in the spirit of goodwill and peace, Bores bade farewell to the people of St. Paul and fled back to Mount Olympus with his royal court. The people of St. Paul danced in the streets and enjoyed fireworks, once again looking forward to the coming of summer’s warmth.

Beers Drank

Women Kissed

Year Founded

Vulcan Members

The Vulcan Legend and Mission Lives On.

A CAll to Our Tradition. Brotherhood. The Red Coat.

“Minnesotans know that winter can’t last forever. The Vulcans are looking forward to the final day of the Carnival, where in his complacent merriment, Boreas fails to note the subtle change in the crowd and weather.”

Since

1886 A Vulcan Legend

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Vulcan Magical Winter Legend

In The Early Carnivals, When the Fire King Ran Alone. He wore typically kingly attire, crown and all, with heavy emphasis on the color red in the rest of the costume. In 1916, Ron Stewart, Vulcanus Rex I, wore a warm blanket coat with a wide sash and a headpiece with devil-type horns on it. This attire continued through 1939. Again, in 1940, Vulcanus Rex VI, E.R. Reiff, designed the basic running suit worn today. The horns were replaced by two feathers at the back of the head with a central fin running across the top of the head from front to back. In 1959 the feathers disappeared by order of Vulcanus Rex XXII, John Works. In February, 2012, Vulcanus Rex LXXV; Steve Robertson, began wearing a crown following the overthrow of Boreas to signify Vulcanus Rex as the Victorious King of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. There are six primary pieces to the current running suit: the hat, the running suit, the cape, boots, gloves, goggles, and grease.

The Knighting Ceremony. These ceremonies were started in 1956. Every year, the Fire King “knights” hundreds of individuals. Special people are singled out by the king and his “Krewe” for this award. A knighting certificate consists of a “title” being bestowed, and a certificate being presented. Titles bestowed usually reflect the individual’s special contribution to a community, company, club or organization, or family.

The Royal Chariot. The current fire engine being used by the Krewe was built in 1932 by Luverne Fire Apparatus of Luverne, Minnesota. Starting out in 1932 as Saint Paul Squad 1 and in 1940 becoming a reserve hose cart, it is believed to be the only one of its type left. The City of Saint Paul began allowing the Krewe to use this fire engine in the late 1950s. Over the years the fire engine has been rebuilt many times while maintaining most of the original body and frame. In 1996, Fire & Brimstone took over ownership and upkeep of the truck.

The Order of Fire and Brimstone. In the late 1940s some of the former Krewe members formed a group that included only former Vulcans. In 1958 it was made into a fully incorporated organization. Fire & Brimstone is run by a board of directors that is elected by the general membership at their annual meeting. This board’s main objective is to provide support for the Vulcan Krewe and also to plan many activities and events for F&B members and their families to attend throughout the year.

A Family Friendly Organization. Becoming a Vulcan member is a big responsibilty and the costs to become one is a commitment. We have grown to become one of the most family-friendly organization in the entire Winter Carnival extravaganza. We Love Saint Paul.

Our Mission to Serve

Join us for the Saint Paul Winter Carnival, the “Coolest Celebration on Earth.” The oldest winter festival in the United States conceived in 1886. The Vulcans perform many events, traditional parades, family favorites, Ice Park, winter maze, sculptures, community visits, and many new attractions. We like to serve our communities and entertain those of all ages. Most events take place in downtown Saint Paul, in and around Rice Park and Landmark Center, as well as at the Minnesota State Fairgrounds. Come out and enjoy this celebration.

The Saint Paul Winter Carnival brings gleaming ice sculptures, hoardes of Vulcans, and the glitz of our own Saint Paul royalty to downtown and surrounding communities. This celebration is made possible by the Saint Paul Festival & Heritage Foundation. The Saint Paul Winter Carnival works in tandem with the Vulcans (F&B Organization) in creating this yearly historic carnival legend and experience this festive spirit that makes Minnesota winters so wonderful and enjoying.

The Saint Paul Vulcans Mission is to foster a family friendly organization that inspires spirit, pride and joy to the Winter Carnival. We do this in celebrating Saint Paul’s unique heritage by interacting with the surrounding communities. Our belonging and connectedness to carnival forms lifelong connections. Our members, families and friends brighten everyones day by sharing educational experiences and fun parades. Let us give back to our community and feel proud of our mission.

The F&B Organization provides year-round events, administrative management and continues our volunteer support, community charities and fiscal administration that is necessary to assure the continued growth and success of the Saint Paul Winter Carnival. The carnival can bring 3-5 million economic impact to Saint Paul.

Our Tradition & Story

Our History

“Vulcanus Rex and his mischievous red-caped Krewe were created to endure through the many years of winters past. Vulcanus the human embodiment of the fire god.” The Queen has landed safely with the help of these Vulcan escorts!