Stardew Valley Walkthrough: Year 1 Winter, Festivals, Mining and Year 2 Prep

Part 3 of our Stardew Valley walkthrough covers Winter of Year 1, Winter 1 to Winter 28, in version 1.6. Nothing grows outside, so Winter is your season for mining, fishing, friendships, crafting and getting ready for a strong Year 2. This page lists every festival, the Winter bundles, mine and building goals, and a checklist for Spring.

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The whole walkthrough

What changes in Winter

• No outdoor crops. Normal seeds won't grow. Pierre doesn't sell regular crop seeds for Winter.
• The Greenhouse works all year if you finished the Pantry in the Community Center. If not, aim to finish it this Winter or early Spring.
• Winter Seeds are a crafted mix that grows Winter forage items (like winter root, crystal fruit, snow yam and crocus). They're handy for the Winter Foraging Bundle.
• Animals stay inside. Make sure your Silo has hay, because there's no fresh grass to eat. A Heater (reward from the Fodder Bundle) keeps animals happy in the cold.
• You'll have lots of free energy every day. Spend it.

Winter festivals and dates

• Any Winter day: A Winter Mystery. Walk from your farm to the bus stop during the day (6am to 4pm) and you'll see a shadowy figure run off. This starts the quest. Follow the footprints to a bush near the playground by the Community Center. You get the Magnifying Glass, which lets you find Secret Notes for the rest of the game.
• Winter 8: Festival of Ice in Cindersap Forest. The main event is an ice fishing contest. Bring a good rod.
• Winter 12 and 13: SquidFest (new in 1.6). A fishing event where you catch squid for prizes. Squid are caught in the ocean.
• Winter 15 to 17: Night Market at the beach, 5pm to 2am. Shop the boats, see the mermaid show and take the submarine ride to fish deep-sea fish. Visit on more than one night if you can.
• Winter 25: Feast of the Winter Star in Pelican Town. Before the feast you're told who your secret gift partner is. Bring them something they love.

Community Center bundles for Winter

• Winter Foraging Bundle (Crafts Room): winter root, crystal fruit, snow yam, crocus. Dig up snow yams and winter roots by using your hoe on the ground. Crystal fruit and crocus are picked up as forage.
• Lake Fish Bundle: the sturgeon lives in the mountain lake in Summer and Winter.
• Ocean Fish Bundle: tuna can be caught again in Winter.
• Nautilus Shell (Field Research Bundle) washes up on the beach in Winter.
• Vault: Winter is a good time to pay into the Vault (2,500g, 5,000g, 10,000g and 25,000g). Finishing it repairs the bus and opens the desert.
• Boiler Room: finish the Geologist's, Blacksmith's and Adventurer's bundles while you mine. Finishing the room fixes the minecarts.

For full lists, see Part 4: Community Center bundles.

Mine goals for Winter

• Finish floor 120 if you didn't in Fall. The Skull Key is the gateway to the late game.
• Farm ore. Iron and gold bars are needed for sprinklers, tool upgrades and the Blacksmith's Bundle. Quality Sprinklers (iron bar, gold bar and refined quartz) will water your Spring fields for you.
• Open geodes at Clint's and donate new minerals and artifacts to the museum. At 60 donations Gunther gives you the Rusty Key to the sewers, where Krobus runs a shop.
• Kill slimes and bats for the Adventurer's Bundle (it needs two of: 99 slime, 10 bat wings, solar essence, void essence).
• If the bus is fixed, try your first run in the Skull Cavern. Bring lots of food and bombs. There's no elevator there, so each trip starts from floor 1.

Buildings and upgrades to aim for

• Tool upgrades. Winter is the best time to upgrade your watering can and hoe, since you aren't using them. Clint keeps the tool for two days.
• Axe upgrade to steel: lets you break the big log blocking the Secret Woods, home of hardwood stumps and the Woodskip (Specialty Fish Bundle).
• Big Barn: unlocks goats. Large goat milk is an Animal Bundle option.
• Deluxe Coop or Deluxe Barn if you can afford it: rabbits (for a Rabbit's Foot, Enchanter's Bundle) and sheep or pigs (wool and truffles).
• Kegs and Preserves Jars. Craft as many as you can now, so your Year 2 harvest goes straight into them.
• Sprinklers. Build enough to cover your main Spring field before Spring 1.

Get ready for Year 2 Spring

1. Save money for a big seed order on Spring 1 (cauliflower, potatoes, kale and some strawberries after the Egg Festival).
2. Set up sprinklers and fertilize your soil in the last days of Winter.
3. Gift villagers on their birthdays. Friendship is easy to build in Winter when you have free time.
4. Check your bundle list and note what you still need from Spring.
5. If the bus is repaired, plan to visit the new Desert Festival, Spring 15 to 17.

Tips for this part

• Don't sit at home. Winter is the best season to mine because you lose nothing on the farm.
• Read the Secret Notes you find. Some point to hidden rewards around the valley.
• Stock up on hay. Animals that don't eat won't produce.
• Fish the Night Market submarine for rare deep-sea fish you can't catch anywhere else.
• Use Winter Seeds to make extra money and fill the Winter Foraging Bundle.

My take

New players often think Winter is boring. For me it's the most important season of Year 1, because it's when you build up the sprinklers, kegs and tool upgrades that make Year 2 easy. I always spend at least half of Winter underground. How do you spend your first Winter?

FAQ

Can you grow crops in Winter in Stardew Valley?

Not normal crops outdoors. You can grow anything in the Greenhouse, and Winter Seeds grow Winter forage outdoors.

How do I get the Magnifying Glass?

In Winter, walk from your farm to the bus stop during the day to start "A Winter Mystery". Follow the footprints to the bush near the playground to get it.

When is the Night Market?

Winter 15, 16 and 17, from 5pm to 2am at the beach.

How do I get into the sewers?

Donate 60 items to the museum. Gunther then gives you the Rusty Key, which opens the sewer grate in town.

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