Stardew Valley: Everything You Should Do in Winter

Winter changes everything. Since normal outdoor crops can’t grow, this season focuses less on farming and more on strategy. It’s the time to mine, upgrade tools, expand buildings, deepen relationships, and prepare for the next year. Winter slows the pace in a peaceful way, giving you room to breathe, organize, and come back stronger in Spring.

Events

Festival of Ice

Date: Winter 8
Location: Cindersap Forest (auto-teleports you there in morning)

What Happens

• Main event is the Fishing Competition
• You compete against Pam, Willy, and Abigail
• Catch the most fish in the timed challenge to win

Rewards

• 1st Place prize often includes:
  • A Sailor Hat
  • A Barbed Hook
  • Sometimes Fishing Tackle
  • 2,000g in some versions

Why It Matters

• Great early/mid-game fishing boost
• Free items / gold
• Easy win if your Fishing skill is decent

Tips

• Stand near the center hole for fast respawns
• Bring a good rod (Fiberglass or better)
• You can practice in the days before to raise skill

Night Market

Date: Winter 15–17
Location: Beach (open 5pm–2am)

What Happens

• The Beach becomes a nighttime festival marketplace
• Shops rotate different rare and cosmetic items
• Unique traveling merchants sell:
  • Rare furniture
  • Art
  • Exotic fish
  • Decoration exclusives

Submarine Ride

• You can deep-sea fish for exclusive Night Market fish
• Costs small fee to ride

Mermaid Show

• Watch the performance
• Enter the secret code at the shells afterward to get a special reward

FREE COFFEE

• Ride the boat on the left
• Unlimited free coffee = SPEED BOOST

Why It Matters

• Rare items only appear here
• Some fish are bundle-important
• Aesthetic lovers thrive here
• Great mid-winter money sink

Feast of the Winter Star

Date: Winter 25
Location: Pelican Town
Theme: Secret Santa

What Happens

• Everyone gathers for a winter feast
• You are assigned a random villager to give a gift
• Someone ALSO gives YOU a gift

Why It Matters

• HUGE friendship boosts if you pick a loved gift
• Emotional, cozy, wholesome vibes
• Sometimes amazing gifts in return

Tips

• Check your mailbox earlier in Winter — it tells you who you’re gifting
• ALWAYS give a Loved Gift
• Easy +2 relationship hearts if done right

Birthdays & Relationships

Best Crops

Welp, technically none. However, if you have a greenhouse, consider these your best options:

• Ancient Fruit
• Cranberries
• Starfruit

These three are high-profit crops, though you should not solely focus on farming this season.

Money-Making Strategies

Fishing

• GREAT money this season

Artisan

• Wine
• Mayo
• Cheese

Community Center

Can Complete

• Artisan: Truffle Oil, Cloth, Goat Cheese, Cheese, Honey, Jelly
• Adventurer’s: Slime (99), Bat Wing (10), Solar/Void Essence
• Winter Forage: Winter Root, Crystal Fruit, Snow Yam, Crocus
• Exotic Foraging: Coconut/Cactus Fruit, Cave Carrot, Red/Purple Mushroom, Maple Syrup/Oak Resin/Pine Tar, Morel
• River Fish: Sunfish, Catfish, Shad, Tiger Trout
• Lake Fish: Largemouth Bass, Carp, Bullhead, Sturgeon
• Ocean Fish: Sardine, Tuna, Red Snapper, Tilapia
• Night Fish: Walleye, Bream, Eel
• Crab Pot: Lobster/Crab/Shrimp; Crayfish/Snail/Periwinkle; Cockle/Mussel
• Specialty Fish: Pufferfish, Ghostfish, Sandfish, Woodskip
• Chef’s: Maple Syrup, Fiddlehead Fern, Truffle, Maki Roll, Fried Egg
• Dye: Red Mushroom, Sea Urchin, Sunflower, Red Cabbage, Duck Feather
• Field Research: Purple Mushroom, Nautilus Shell, Chub, Frozen Geode
• Enchanter’s: Wine, Rabbit’s Foot