Date/Time
Date(s) - 02/07/2026
10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Location
Lake Harriet Park 4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway, Minneapolis, MN, 55409
Description
Scroll to the bottom for contact information and more.
Art Shanty Projects is an annual pop up festival mixing art with us hardy, lake-loving Minnesotans. The public is invited to bundle up and venture onto frozen Lake Harriet to explore these unique icehouses designed by local artists. Weekends only, January 17-February 8, 2026. Admission is free; donations are how the event stays running.
Attending Minneapolis Art Shanty Projects with kids
Experience the unique and interactive art installations at the Minneapolis Art Shanty Projects with your kids. Art shanties, B-icicle racing, Fro-gahh Yoga, music and puppet shows — all those and more have been featured in these artsy ice houses, proving there is something for families of all ages to enjoy.
“Ice shanties” are temporary structures placed on frozen lakes to give ice fishers a little shelter from the elements. “Art shanties” elevate this practice to an artform. The Art Shanty Projects is an annual pop up exhibit mixing art with the hardiness of Minnesotans and our unique love of ice fishing. Located on Bdé Umáŋ (Lake Harriet) in Minneapolis.
The excerpt below is from an article Anne wrote in 2014 explaining why this project appealed to her as a family outing. While the icehouses are different each year, the interactive spirit of this creative community remains the same.
Not only are these unique icehouses designed by local artists, they are strongly encouraged to be interactive. Herein lies the fun of bringing the whole family out to see them. My sporty 8-year-old son, for instance, would love the Curling Clubhouse Ice Shanty. Curling lessons for him and a warming house with observation deck for Mom and Dad! In the Noah’s Art Shanty, my artsy little girls would love molding clay animals. This Saturday will also feature special storytelling sessions in the Noah’s Art Shanty at 2, 3, and 4pm. I could see our whole family getting into the Pedal Bear, a bicycle-powered polar bear puppet that transports guests across the frozen lake.
Tips for parents
- Visitors with small kids may want to consider bringing a sled to pull the little ones; the shanties are located about 500 feet from the shore and a significant distance from parking.
- It’s Minnesota. Check the forecast, dress for the weather (than remember the open ice will be colder than your backyard) and bring layers!
Best day to visit
It is twice as fun to combine a visit to the Art Shanty Projects with the annual Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival. Because the weather is not always cooperative, project planners have a “Plan Beach” if lake conditions indicate that the ice isn’t safe and a new “Plan C” that they will pull out if necessary to reduce disappointment.
We hope you get a chance to discover how the Minneapolis Art Shanty Projects offer a unique winter experience for families with kids. From interactive art installations to outdoor activities, this event is not to be missed. If you go, leave us a message and let us know your favorite parts, parent tips and any useful information you want to share with other parents.
2026 Art Shanty Projects Entertainment
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17 – OPENING DAY!
- 11:30am – 2:30pm Winter Plein Air Painting – interspersed
- 12 – 4pm Thakápsičapi by Twin Cities Native Lacrosse
- 12:30pm Pollinator Frenzy | Town Triangle
- 1-4pm Penguins! – roving
- 1:30pm fro-gahhh: yoga for the planet and the people | Town Triangle
- 3pm Taiko on Ice | Performance Stage
SUNDAY, JANUARY 18
- 12:30pm Pollinator Frenzy | Town Triangle
- 1pm Brass Messengers | Performance Stage
- 1-4pm Science Sunday: Lakes are Alive! – interspersed
- 2pm B-Icicle Races | Ice Field
- 2pm Folktales Around the Fire | Scritch & Scratch’s Free Stuff Surplus
- 2-4pm Ladies of the Lost Continent – interspersed
- 3pm Collective Joy Community Square Dance | Performance Stage
SATURDAY, JANUARY 24 – LAKE HARRIET WINTER KITE FESTIVAL
- 11:30am Community Singing on Ice | Scritch & Scratch’s Free Stuff Surplus
- 12 – 4pm Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival – on the lake and shore
- 12:30pm Pollinator Frenzy | Town Triangle
- 1:30pm fro-gahhh: yoga for the planet and the people | Town Triangle
- 2-4pm Ladies of the Lost Continent – interspersed
- 2pm Folktales Around the Fire | Scritch & Scratch’s Free Stuff Surplus
- 3pm Brass Messengers | Performance Stage
SUNDAY, JANUARY 25
- 11:30am – 2:30pm Winter Plein Air Painting – interspersed
- 12:30pm Pollinator Frenzy | Town Triangle
- 1-4pm Science Sunday: Lakes are Alive! – interspersed
- 1:30pm fro-gahhh: yoga for the planet and the people – BIPOC session | Town Triangle
- 2pm B-Icicle Races | Ice Field
- 3pm Collective Joy Community Square Dance | Performance Stage
SATURDAY, JANUARY 31
- 11:30am Klezmer on Ice | Performance Stage
- 12:30pm Pollinator Frenzy | Town Triangle
- 1:30pm Klezmer on Ice | Performance Stage
- 1:30pm fro-gahhh: yoga for the planet and the people
- 2-4pm Ladies of the Lost Continent – interspersed
- 2:30, 3, 3:30pm The Sweetness of Life Belongs to us All with zAmya Theater | Performance Stage
- 5:30pm: The Story Table tells The Chameleons – a story about solidarity and non-violence. Fireplace, lanterns and tea for keeping warm. – Art Shanty #5
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1
- 11:30am Klezmer on Ice | Performance Stage
- 12:30pm Pollinator Frenzy | Town Triangle
- 1-4pm Penguins! – roving
- 1-4pm Science Sunday: Lakes are Alive! – interspersed
- 1:30pm Klezmer on Ice | Performance Stage
- 2pm B-Icicle Races | Ice Field
- 2:30, 3, 3:30pm The Sweetness of Life Belongs to us All with zAmya Theater | Performance Stage
SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7
- 12 – 4pm Thakápsičapi with Twin Cities Native Lacrosse | Ice Field
- 12:30pm Pollinator Frenzy | Town Triangle
- 1:30pm fro-gahhh: yoga for the planet and the people | Town Triangle
- 2pm Folktales Around the Fire | Scritch & Scratch’s Free Stuff Surplus
- 2-4pm Ladies of the Lost Continent – interspersed
- 3pm Collective Joy Community Square Dance | Performance Stage
- 5:30pm: The Story Table tells The Leopard – a story about speaking up. Fireplace, lanterns and tea for keeping warm. – Art Shanty #5
SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 8 – CLOSING DAY!
- 12:30pm Pollinator Frenzy | Town Triangle
- 1pm Folktales Around the Fire | Scritch & Scratch’s Free Stuff Surplus
- 1-4pm Science Sunday: Lakes are Alive! – interspersed
- 2pm B-Icicle Races | Ice Field
- 2pm Prairie Fire Choir | Performance Stage
- 3pm Collective Joy Community Square Dance | Performance Stage
FROSTY & FUN! Take a look at our Twin Cities Winter Festival Calendar for families and plan ahead to play in the elements all season long.
Find more information about performances and art actions during the 2026 Ice Shanty Projects here.
More information
- Event page: Art Shanty Projects
- Register: for the Art Shanty Newsletter
- Find directions: to the festival HERE
Related content
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No. 104312
Hello my name is Jerry with Xstream Cuisine and I will like to know if you can use our Food Trucks services in your Art Shanti Project
Hi Jerry. We are not associated with the Art Shanty Project, but if you follow the link we provide at the bottom of this article “Event page: Art Shanty Projects,” you’ll reach the project’s website. Where you will find a “Get Involved” tab.