With 12 children between them, the parents of the Family Fun Twin Cities team are always scouting out ways to score a good deal. February has us swooning with all the FREE family events and activities it has to offer. From Valentine’s Day events to festivals that do their best to embrace winter in Minnesota, here’s what the month ahead will bring.
For more ideas on how to find free Twin Cities events for kids and families in February visit our:
- FEBRUARY FAMILY GUIDE FOR MINNEAPOLIS-ST PAUL PARENTS
- ULTIMATE TWIN CITIES 2026 WINTER FUN (AND SURVIVAL) GUIDE
- FAMILY FUN CALENDAR
- 28+ DAYS OF COZY INDOOR PLAY IN FEBRUARY
Want to find free things to do in the Minneapolis-St Paul area this weekend? Find our current WEEKEND FAMILY GUIDE, packed with suggestions.
50 free things to do in the Twin Cities this February
Pick a season – it’s always the right one to put a few dollars back in your pocket and take advantage of all the free things to do in our exciting Twin Cities.
Twin Cities free outdoor winter fun in February
There is still an abundance of FREE family fun to be had out in Twin Cities-areas parks during the month of February, even though ice and snow can be unpredictable. Community free outdoor ice skating rinks are typically maintained through the middle of the month, many with warming facilities and lighting. You can browse our DIRECTORY OF FREE ICE RINKS IN THE PARKS HERE or click below on the graphic of our own little skaters. How about throwing a sled down one of the abundant TWIN CITIES SLEDDING HILLS? Make the most of the season before it’s in the rearview.
More free winter fun ideas in the parks – Minneapolis & St Paul
Throw your layers on and get out there! Bring a sled or ice skates while you still can. We’re not shy about hoping there’s enough snow left for these fun family outings scheduled for February in MSP:
- Nicollet Island Park is hosting the free GREAT NORTHERN WINTER FESTIVAL FAMILY DAY, including free snowshoeing, art activities and music.
- Minneapolis community parks offer traditional winter festivals like PEARL PARK FROST FEST and LUXTON FIRE & ICE complete with bonfires and a hayrides.
- St Paul invites families to enjoy free COCOA, CRAFTS & SLEDS on Harriet Island and a WINTER PLAY DAY in Crosby Farm Regional Park.
- Parks like NORTH MISSISSIPPI REGIONAL PARK in Minneapolis often offer free outdoor programming for families complete with the engaging KROENING NATURE CENTER If you need a break from the chill.
- And there is simply no better free indoor (and balmy!) public park space like St Paul’s COMO ZOO & CONSERVATORY.
MORE FREE WINTER FUN AT COMO not to miss:
- Como Little Explorers Thursdays – each themed week is packed with free games, art projects and sensory tables. 10am-12pm.
- Como Music Under Glass – free concerts in the Conservatory may be more appreciated by adults but kids are welcome to wander in the gardens.
Free outdoor winter fun in the Twin Cities North Metro parks
BROOKLYN PARK: Historic EIDEM FARM SNOW DAY is good, old-fashioned and free winter fun: kicksledding, snow-fort building and a bonfire to keep warm.
MAPLE GROVE: EASTMAN NATURE CENTER steadily offers their Free Funday Sunday program most weeks of the month. Drop in this month for activities like historic winter games, animal challenges and enrichment. 1-3pm.
ROSEVILLE: Drop by the annual HARRIET ALEXANDER NATURE CENTER WINTER OPEN HOUSE for free snowshoeing, animal encounters and a snowflake hunt.
ST ANTHONY: Free winter activities at SILVERWOOD PARK’s MIDWINTER MELT on a Friday night: kicksledding and a luminary trail. Indoor art activities when you need to warm up.
Free outdoor winter fun in the Twin Cities South Metro parks
BLOOMINGTON: RICHARDSON NATURE CENTER is always cooking up something interesting to learn during their Free Family Fun Days. Themes in February include two chances to try kicksledding. Select Sundays, 3-4pm.
BLOOMINGTON: Free, hands-on living history moments are offered every Saturday at POND DAKOTA MISSION PARK. Drop in this month for the free annual Pond House Winter History Festival. Saturdays, 1-4pm.
EAGAN: GOAT HILL PARK has a refrigerated ice rink, perfect for Eagan’s Community Ice Night with games, pickup hockey and a bonfire.
HASTINGS: Register for your free chance to dabble in Family Ice Fishing with Park & Rec staff – all equipment provided. One date in February at Lake Rebecca Park. Spots from 9-11am.
Free outdoor winter fun in the Twin Cities West Metro parks
EDEN PRAIRIE: SNOWTIME SATURDAYS include free winter sports throughout the month of February: check out cross-country skis (youth and adult), kicksleds and snowshoes, dependent on weather. If the snow is absent, try activities like scavenger hunts and fire-building led by naturalists.
Twin Cities winter festivals with free admission in February 2026
Free Minneapolis & St Paul winter festivals & events
THROUGH FEBRUARY 1, 2026 St Paul Winter Carnival
- Snow Park at the State Fairgrounds: Chill out at the Fair viewing the results of the Minnesota State Snow Sculpting Competitions. Sculptures will be on display at the Fair through the run of Winter Carnival.
- Winter Carnival ice sculpture carving and displays in Rice Park.
THROUGH FEBRUARY 8, 2026 Minneapolis Art Shanty Projects
4135 W Lake Harriet Parkway, Minneapolis, MN 55409
Not only are these unique ice houses designed by local artists, they are strongly encouraged to be interactive and fun! Great for families with kids. As of this publish date, the festival is still scheduled to be “on ice”; if necessary, the shanties can move along the lakefront.
ST PAUL Phalen Freeze Fest
Phalen Lakeside Activities Center, 1530 Phalen Drive, Saint Paul, MN 55106
The festival will go on with hot beverages, seed planting, bird watching, an orienteering activities and outdoor games. February 21, 2026, 1-4pm.
Free Twin Cities Northwest Metro winter festivals
- FEB 1-8 Coon Rapids Snowflake Days
- FEB 7 Brooklyn Park Winterfest
- FEB 7 Otsego Winter Festival
- FEB 7 Plymouth Fire & Ice Festival
- FEB 7 Ramsey Frost Fest
- FEB 14 Buffalo Kites on Ice
Free Twin Cities Northeast Metro winter festivals
- FEB 6-8 Hudson Hot Air Affair
- FEB 7 Columbia Heights SnowBLAST
- FEB 19-24 Stillwater Winterfest Kids & Family Fair
Free Twin Cities Southwest Metro winter festivals
- THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY 2026 Bloomington Winter Fete
- FEB 1 Chanhassen February Festival
- FEB 2 Minnetonka Kids Fest
Free Twin Cities Southeast Metro winter festivals
- FEB 1 Apple Valley Mid-Winter Fest
- FEB 7 Eagan Frosty Festival
- FEB 7-8 Mendota Heights Frozen Fun Fest
- FEB 8 Burnsville Polar Fest
- FEB 15 Cottage Grove Blizzard Bash
- FEB 15 Lakeville Ritter Fest
- FEB 15 West St Paul Winter Fun Fest
Twin Cities free fun with arts & crafts in February
Warm your art-loving hearts this month with free events designed for families to be creative together. From our world-class art museums to local art houses to your favorite home improvement store, here’s where you can create and save in February:
- ANOKA Rumriver Free Family Art Day
- EAGAN Art House First Friday
- EDINA First Saturday Art Lab
- MINNEAPOLIS Minnesota Center for Book Arts Open House
- MINNEAPOLIS Institute of Art Family Day
- MINNEAPOLIS Walker Art Center First Free Saturday
- MULTIPLE LOCATIONS Home Depot Kids Workshops
- MULTIPLE LOCATIONS Fleet Farm Free Kids Crafts
Twin Cities free family entertainment in February
What kind of free entertainment can you squeeze out of the Twin Cities culture scene this month? Look to “travel” the world at Landmark Center, get up close to some jumbo vehicles, take a free ramble through Minnesota Children’s Museum and more.
- EAGAN Winter SKOLstice Touch-a-Truck
- FALCON HEIGHTS Bell Museum Star Party
- MENDOTA HEIGHTS Boltz Martial Arts Inflatable Fair
- ST PAUL Urban Expedition: Trinidad & Tobago
- ST PAUL Minnesota Children’s Museum First Free Sunday
Free Twin Cities Valentine’s Day family events
Jump over to our big list of Twin Cities Valentine’s Day events for kids and families.
Free weekly Twin Cities activities in February
Free abounds in the Twin Cities. Many local bookstores, libraries and other businesses offer free storytimes during the week. Local coffee shops & cafes serve parents with free dedicated play spaces. Nature centers are wonderful places that offer free admission and hands-on exhibits and outdoor play opportunities most days of the week. And dozens of St Paul & Minneapolis recreation centers offer free open gyms and tot times to run your littles ragged during the cooler months. Explore from our links below.
Thank you, Dominic.
We’ve all been in the same place and that is why this site has become a labor of love for all of us.
Thank you for putting a site like this together. It can take a great deal of effort to find activities for those looking to save money. I hope a warm hearted thank you from my family to all of yours on your team help inspire many more events posted in the future. If you ever need an addition to your effort I would gladly like to assist in what your doing. Take care!