Winter can be a difficult season to get through in Stardew Valley. With the harsh weather, you aren’t able to fully maintain your farm like you can during the rest of the year. Fortunately, there are still plenty of other things you can still do!

This guide will take a look at what you can do during the winter. We will cover everything from what to do on the farm, to events and quests.

Can You Farm In Winter?

You can do a lot of things during the winter, but farming is not one of them. The majority of seeds that you buy from Pierre’s General Store or JojaMart will not grow during the season.

During the winter, you will only be able to successfully grow wild seeds. Planting and growing these will produce winter-specific goods including winter root, holly, crystal fruit, snow yam, and crocus.

If you already have the greenhouse, then you can still plant whatever you want! The greenhouse allows you to grow any fruit and vegetable, regardless of the season. Out-of-season seeds may be difficult to come across, so make sure to save some during the rest of the year. Additionally, you can buy seeds all year long from the Oasis shop in the Desert.

Overall, you don’t have to focus on farming during the winter. The few goods that do grow aren’t worth it because they don’t sell for much.

Focus On Your Farm Animals

Winter is the perfect time to focus on your farm animals. With no crops to worry about, turn your attention to your barn and coop.

Chickens and cows will produce eggs and milk on a daily basis, providing a steady income. To boost this, process eggs and milk into mayonnaise and cheese.

Be sure to pet your animals every day, especially during the winter. Petting an animal will strengthen their relationship with you, allowing them to produce higher-quality ingredients. These high-quality eggs and milk can then be processed and sold for a lot of money.

If this is your first winter in Stardew Valley, and you don’t have any farm animals yet, now is the time! Head to Robin’s house and build a barn and a coop. Below are the requirements for the basic-level buildings.

  • Barn: Costs 6,000g. Requires 350 Wood and 150 Stone. Coop: Costs 4,000g. Requires 300 Wood and 100 Stone.

To get more animals, remember to upgrade your buildings!

Catch Unique Fish In Winter

Fishing is available all year long; however, there are some fish that can only be caught during the winter season. Below, you can take a look at all the fish that will be available during the winter.

Available During Winter

  • Tuna: Ocean, Ginger Island (6 AM to 7 PM) Sardine: Ocean ( 6 AM to 7 PM) Pike: River, Forest Pond (all day) Red Mullet: Ocean (6 AM to 7 PM) Herring: Ocean (all day) Sea Cucumber: Ocean (6 AM to 7 PM) Sturgeon: Mountain Lake (6 AM to 7 PM) Tiger Trout: River (6 AM to 7 PM) Albacore: Ocean (6 AM to 11 AM, 6 PM to 2 AM) Red Snapper: Ocean (6 AM to 7 PM) Halibut: Ocean (6 AM to 11 AM, 7 PM to 2 AM) Midnight Carp: Mountain Lake, Cindersap Forest Pond, Ginger Island (10 PM to 2 AM)

Winter-Exclusive Fish

  • Perch: River, Forest Pond, Mountain Lake (all day) Squid: Ocean (6 PM to 2 AM) Lingcod: River, Mountain Lake (all day) Glacierfish: Cindersap Forest (all day)

Night Market Fish

In addition to fishing around town, you will also be able to fish during the Night Market that takes place from Winter 15 to 17. Later, we will take a more in-depth look at the Night Market. The following fish/objects will be available from the Submarine in the Night Market.

  • Midnight Squid Spook Fish Blobfish Sea Cucumber Seaweed Octopus Pearl

Mine With Full Energy

During the winter, you should also explore the mines to the fullest. Since there are no crops to water or harvest, you can start your day with full energy and head to the mines.

There are 120 floors to the mines north of Robin’s house. When you reach the bottom, you will receive the Skull Key. This allows you to enter Skull Cavern, which is located in the Desert.

Overall, winter is a great time to do some exploring, as well as collect material that you can use later during the year. Many buildings and craftable objects require a lot of stone, so use this time to stock up on it!

Expand Your House

You can expand your house during any season, but winter provides the perfect opportunity to focus on it. As mentioned above, a lot of buildings require wood and stone. Use the wood and stone you have gathered from mining to upgrade your house!

Expanding your house can be done at any point during the year, but during the winter, you don’t have to worry about buying seeds. Instead, your money can be put towards house expansions. 

For more information on upgrading your house, check out this guide.

Winter Events In Stardew Valley

There are 3 events and 9 birthdays that take place during the winter. Let’s go over the events that will happen during Winter.

Festival Of Ice: Winter 8

Every Winter 8, the Festival of Ice will take place in the Cindersap Forest (the area directly below your farm where Marnie’s Ranch is).

During the festival, the Traveling Merchant will be selling a variety of Winter themed decor and foods. Below, you can see a list of all items available for purchase.

  • Rarecrow 1: 5,000g Tree of the Winter Star: 5,000g Frozen Dreams (Painting): 2,000g Icy Rug: 4,000g Winter Dining Table: 3,000g Icy Banner: 800g Wall Sconce: 1,000g Winter End Table: 1,000g Cranberry Sauce: 200g Stuffing: 200g Pumpkin Soup: 250g

Additionally, you can participate in the Ice Fishing Contest. To win, you just need to catch at least 5 fish in the given time. Winning will reward you with the barbed hook, dressed spinner, a magnet, and a sailor’s cap. If you win the contest again, you will receive 2,000g.

Night Market: Winter 15-17

The Night Market takes place in the middle of winter. During this time, the beach area of Pelican Town will have different vendors set up on boats. There will be tons of interesting things available for purchase, as well as opportunities to win rare items. Remember to check out our guide on the Night Market for more information.

Feast Of The Winter Star: Winter 25

During this event, you will have the opportunity to give and receive gifts from the citizens of Pelican Town. A week prior to the event, Mayor Lewis will send you mail with the name of your gift recipient. Over the next week, you will need to find the perfect gift for them. You will also be given a gift by another resident as well. The gifts given will be at random.

Like the previous events, you can also purchase themed decor at the Feast of the Winter Star. Check out the list of items available from Pierre’s booth.

  • Winter Banner: 1,000g Large Light String: 800g Small Pine: 500g Ornate Window: 1,000g House Plant: 700g Festive Dining Table: 3,000g Large Red Rug: 1,000g Decorative Axe: 1,000g Wood panel: 500g Log Panel: 500-700g Tree of the Winter Star: 5,000g Manicured Pine: 800g

Birthdays

As mentioned above, there are 9 birthdays throughout winter. Below are the 9 birthdays that occur during the season. Be sure to prepare and give the citizens a gift that they will love.

  • Krobus: Winter 1 Linus: Winter 3 Caroline: Winter 7 Sebastian: Winter 10 Harvey: Winter 14 Wizard: Winter 17 Evelyn: Winter 20 Leah: Winter 23 Clint: Winter 26

Winter Quests

Finally, there are a variety of quests available during the winter. Below, you will see a list of all quests that you can complete during winter. In total, there are 10 possible quests that are spread throughout the season. 

Winter 2

  • Catch A Squid: Deliver 1 Squid to Willy

Winter 5

  • Staff Of Power: Deliver an Iridium Bar to the Wizard

Winter 6

  • Clint’s Attempt: Give Emily an Amethyst

Winter 12

  • A Dark Regeant: Deliver a void essence to the Wizard

Winter 13

  • Catch a Lingcod: Deliver a Lingcod to Willy

Winter 17

  • A favor For Clint: Bring Clint an Iron Bar

Winter 19

  • Exotic Spirits: Bring Gus a Coconut

Winter 21

  • Robin’s Request: Deliver 10 Hardwood to Robin

Winter 26

  • Fish Stew: Deliver an Albacore to Gus

During the winter, you can also complete the Winter Mystery quest. The quest is a bit more complex than the ones above, so read our complete walkthrough for the quest. The reward for completing this quest is the magnifying glass, which can be used to read secret messages that are scattered throughout the world.

Additionally, you can also work to complete the Community Center bundles. The bundles can be completed at any point in the year, so just remember to keep foraging and mining throughout the winter. You don’t want to have to wait an entire year just to get one item that’s only available in the winter.

Now, you know all there is to do during the winter is Stardew Valley. Although you aren’t able to grow crops, there is still plenty of content to keep you busy. After winter ends, start growing your spring crops and make some more money!