The 76th Sapporo Snow Festival kicks off on February 4, 2026. At the Odori Site (Odori Park), a major attraction is not just the spectacular snow sculptures, but also the chance to enjoy seasonal culinary delights. The site is packed with delicious options, including venue-exclusive sweets, food filled with Hokkaido's unique flavors, and hot drinks to warm you up. In this article, I'll introduce my top picks for "must-try foods and souvenir sweets" I discovered while walking through the Odori Site, reporting from west to east.

▼Click here for highlights of the Sapporo Snow Festival Odori Site and recommendations for nighttime viewing!

The snowman-shaped bear is so cute!

The 10-chome "UHB Family Land" features a massive Star Wars snow sculpture, as well as a line of food and merchandise booths. A must-buy item here is Sapporo Senshuan's new product, "Yamaoyaji Yukidaruma Milk Choco."

"Yamaoyaji Yukidaruma Milk Choco" (9 pieces, ¥1,400)

This treat takes Sapporo Senshuan's long-selling "Yamaoyaji" senbei cracker, adds Hokkaido milk to the dough, and generously coats it with a unique blend of bitter milk chocolate. The combination of the crispy biscuit and the light, airy milk chocolate is outstanding. With its subtle sweetness and light texture, it's so delicious you could eat them endlessly.

The special heart-shaped packaging is adorable.

The special packaging is perfect for Valentine's Day, making it a great gift for yourself or a souvenir from Hokkaido and Sapporo.

"Powder Snow Parmesan Formaggio Pizza" (¥800/slice) (left) and "Premium Creamy Red Snow Crab Pizza" (¥1,000/slice) (right)

The 8-chome "HTB Snow Square" is home to the magnificent "Aizu Tsurugajo Castle" large snow sculpture. While waiting for the projection mapping show, be sure to stop by the PIZZA-LA food truck. They offer two types of Snow Festival exclusive pizzas, each served in an individual paper sleeve, making them perfect for eating on the go.

Easy to hold with one hand, perfect for walking and eating.

The "Premium Creamy Red Snow Crab Pizza ~The Shell Shock~" (¥1,000/slice) lives up to its name with shell-on crab as a topping, offering a true taste of Hokkaido. The umami of the crab meat is enveloped in a cream sauce, creating a rich and luxurious flavor.

For cheese lovers, the "Powder Snow Parmesan Formaggio Pizza ~with Hokkaido Mascarpone and Camembert~" (¥800/slice) is a must-try. In addition to Parmesan sprinkled like powder snow, it features four types of cheese: Hokkaido Camembert, Mozzarella, and Hokkaido Mascarpone, with a hint of honey for a sweet accent.

"Age-imo" (¥500), a soul food every Hokkaido local knows.

The 5-chome "Doshin Snow Square" not only features the large snow sculpture "The Thoroughbred: A Symbol of Glory" but also a great selection of food booths. One of them, the NEXCO East Japan booth, sells "Age-imo," a beloved treat for Hokkaido residents.

The NEXCO East Japan booth at 5-chome.

Instead of the usual skewered style, two Age-imo (deep-fried potato balls) are served in a cup with chopsticks. This makes them easy to eat and perfect for sharing.

Break open the Age-imo and hot steam puffs out!

The outside is crispy, and the inside is fluffy and hot. The texture is light, with a perfect balance of sweet and savory. Plus, when I bought the Age-imo, I received a ¥100 discount coupon for a "Shiawase no Kaku Highball" (Happy Kaku Highball) at the adjacent Suntory booth. You can enjoy Age-imo and a highball together at a discount.

The SNOWS booth around 5 PM. When I was there, there was a line on the left.

At the 4-chome site, where the large snow sculpture "Prayer - A Message from the Jomon Period" makes a huge impact, you'll find a pop-up from SNOWS, a popular winter-exclusive sweets brand from Hokkaido. Look for the prominent SNOWS sign, which is visible even from Ekimae-dori street.

"Snow Sand White and Black 2-piece Limited Edition Tin" (¥700)

Their popular raw chocolate sandwich cookie, "Snow Sand," is available in a limited-edition Snow Festival package. There are two options: the "Snow Sand White and Black 2-piece Limited Edition Tin" (¥700) and the "Snow Sand White and Black 6-piece Limited Edition Tin" (¥2,050).

Crispy, fragrant langue de chat cookies are filled with a generous amount of rich, smooth raw chocolate made from the milk of winter-grazing cows, creating a decadent, wintry flavor.

Butter candy "Yuki Hitotsu" (100g, ¥540)

They also sell "Yuki Hitotsu" (100g, ¥540), a milk butter candy with a distinctively smooth, white melt-in-your-mouth quality. The warm felt packaging adds a touch of Hokkaido charm, making this butter candy a great souvenir.

"Indian," a local curry shop known by everyone in Obihiro and Tokachi, Hokkaido.

The 1-chome "J:COM Hiroba (Square)," close to the subway station and bustling with tourists visiting the TV Tower, has a wide array of food booths. At the foot of the TV Tower, you'll find a pop-up from "Indian," a popular curry shop from the Tokachi-Obihiro area. Here you can try their "Indian-man" (¥500), a curry bun filled with their aged curry roux wrapped in dough made from Hokkaido wheat.

"Indian-man" (¥500)

The rich Indian curry roux, combined with a savory, meaty flavor and a fluffy bun, creates an exquisite taste. It was just like eating their famous curry.

The hot Indian-man made me crave a drink, so I headed to another booth in the area, "Wakusei Cornelius." Their "Hot Red Sangria" (¥600) is a warm wine with a hint of lemon and a gentle sweetness.

"Hot Red Sangria" (¥600)

It was a comforting, wintry drink that warmed me right up. A white wine version is also available.

Enjoy the festival while eating delicious and warm Hokkaido gourmet food!

The Snow Festival site is full of attractions, from admiring the beautiful large snow sculptures to trying out activities like the snow slides. At the same time, there's plenty of joy to be found in discovering delicious food!

The food sold at the venue is designed to be easy to eat on the spot, but the ground is inevitably snowy and slippery. Please watch your step, and enjoy the Snow Festival while warming up with hot food and drinks.