Date/Time
Date(s) - 01/17/2026 - 02/08/2026
SEE TIMES
Location
Lake Harriet Park 4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway, Minneapolis, MN, 55409
Description
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 Entertaiment
Find more information about performances and art actions during the 2026 Ice Shanty Projects here.
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17 – OPENING DAY!
- 11:30am – 2:30pm: Winter Plein Air Painting – interspersed
- Noon – 4pm: Thakápsičapi by Twin Cities Native Lacrosse @ Ice Field
- 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
- 2m: 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
- Noon – 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 @ TBD location
- 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
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
- Noon – 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
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
More information
- Event page: Art Shanty Projects
- Register: for the Art Shanty Newsletter
- Find directions: to the festival HERE
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