With the newest update for Animal Crossing: New Horizons releasing on January 28, players will have their islands prepped for Festivale, a colorful event featuring Pave the peacock. Mirroring the Mardi Gras and Carnival celebrations of the real world, the Festivale will take place on February 15. Pave will give players the opportunity to collect feathers in order to see him dance.
For players that have played Animal Crossing: City Folk or Animal Crossing: New Leaf before, Pave should be a familiar face. Although there were some minor differences in the previous games, Pave's appearance in Animal Crossing: New Horizons should signify some brand new festival-related items and furniture available for fans.
Pave in Animal Crossing: City Folk and Animal Crossing: New Leaf
Pave originally appeared in Animal Crossing: City Folk as the host of the Festivale, a brightly colored event modelled after the real life holidays of Mardi Gras and the Carnival. In both Animal Crossing: City Folk and Animal Crossing: New Leaf, players are tasked with gathering feathers or candy requested by Pave during the event. In exchange, Pave rewarded players with items and furniture from the Pave series. Villagers also challenged players in different minigames like rock-paper-scissors, coin toss, charades, and more in order to win Bells or event currency.
In Animal Crossing: City Folk, Pave asked players to collect candy as an event currency by challenging their fellow villagers to minigames. Players could then trade in their candy for items and furniture from the Pave series. On the other hand, Animal Crossing: New Leaf had players collect feathers as event currency which could be caught with their nets. There were a number of different colored feathers that fell from the sky and players had to collect a certain number of Pave's requested color. Once turned in, Pave would perform a special dance and give the player an item from the Pave series.
Pave in Animal Crossing: New Horizons
As seen in the newest update trailer for Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Pave's return is similar to the event mechanics of Animal Crossing: New Leaf. It appears that players will once again try to catch different colored feathers that are requested by Pave. Once turned in, Pave will perform a special dance and likely give players a special item.
While there isn't a sign of different minigames or candy collecting from the latest Animal Crossing: New Horizons trailer, players will be able to grab exclusive Festivale items on their island starting February 1. Festivale inspired clothing will be sold at the Able Sisters shop for a limited time allowing players to dance in style together with Pave. There will also be a brand new set of reactions available to be purchased from Nook's Cranny with Bells. Available for a limited time, the Viva Festival Reaction set contains the new Feelin' It, Let's Go, and Viva and Confetti reactions.
Although Nintendo hasn't revealed any new DIY recipes for the Festivale event in Animal Crossing: New Horizons, players will also likely be able to craft some new Festivale themed items. Having appeared in multiple events so far as a new Animal Crossing mechanic, it wouldn't be surprising if Pave also offered players some new DIY recipes. However, with the official trailer only showing off a quick preview of the Festivale event, players will have to wait until February 15 to see if Pave brings back some minigames or new additions.
Animal Crossing: New Horizons is available on the Nintendo Switch.