Twin Cities Winter Family Festival Calendar
We present the Twin Cities Winter Family Festival Calendar – because festivals aren’t just for summer here in Minnesota. 2019 dates are starting to trickle in, but check back in late December for more.
JANUARY FAMILY WINTER FESTIVALS & FUN DAYS
TBA: Ice Castles | TBA | $7.95-$15.95/pp | Once inside, explore the ice palaces for as long as you’d like! Read our review of Ice Castles here. (1/5/19-3/10/19)
TBA: Winter Trails Day | Fort Snelling State Park | 11-4pm | Family highlights: Explore winter activities such as ice-fishing, cross-country skiing, skijoring, quinzee building, and more. FREE admission with $7 park vehicle permit. (1/12/19)
TBA: Winter Ice Festival | Centennial Lakes Park, Edina | Family highlights: Horse-drawn wagon rides, face painting, ice sculpting demos and skating for families – rent skates or bring your own. FREE. (1/13/19)
TBA: Arctic Fever | Excelsior, Shorewood & Tonka Bay | Family highlights: Free pizza and fire dance demos (Fri), sledding, sleighrides, skating and other classic winter fun. (1/13/19)
TBA: The Big Chill | Firemen’s Park, Chaska | 6-7:30pm | Family highlights: Skating on the Clayhole (BYO skates), glow in the dark bowling, a candy scavenger hunt, free cocoa and smores. FREE. (1/18/19)
TBA: Winter Open House | White Bear Center for the Arts, White Bear Lake | 1-3pm | Family highlights: Ice sculpting and art-making activities. FREE. (1/18/19)
TBA: Winter Fete | Bloomington (1/19/19-1/27/19)
TBA: Winter Play Day | Silverwood Park, St Anthony | 11am-4:30pm | Family highlights: Spend the day off from school building snow creatures, then warm up with cocoa and a concert. FREE. (1/21/19)
1/23/20-2/3/20: St Paul Winter Carnival | St Paul | Family highlights: See our Top 7 Free Family Activities from snow sculptures to the Moonglow Parade.
TBA: Winter Blast | Staring Lake Park, Eden Prairie | Family highlights: Sledding, ice skating (BYO skates), crafts, outdoor games, and a bonfire. FREE. (1/25/19)
TBA: Linden Hills Winter Fest | Linden Hills Park, Minneapolis | 6:30-8:30pm | Family highlights: horse drawn wagon rides, ice skating, music, sledding, a marshmallow roast, face painting and a medallion hunt. (1/25/19)
TBA: Anoka Winterfest | Greenhaven Golf Course & Event Center | 10am-1pm | Family highlights: Mini golf, art activities, movies, yard games, smores and more. FREE (1/25/19-1/26/19)
TBA: Coon Rapids Snowflake Days | Coon Rapids | Family highlights: Kids medallion hunt (1/26, ages 5-10). FREE. (1/26/19-2/10/19)
TBA: Lake Harriet Winter Kite Festival | Lake Harriet Park, Minneapolis | 12-4pm | Family highlights: Kites fly over the frozen lake. Families can ice fish, snowshoe and take a wagon ride. FREE. (1/26/19-2/10/19)
TBA: 12th Annual Art Sled Rally | Powderhorn Park, Minneapolis | 2pm | Family highlights: Bring a sled of your own creation and race it or have fun as a spectator! FREE. (1/26/19-2/10/19)
TBA: Winter Fun Day | Oak Hill Park, St Louis Park | 12-4pm | Family highlights: Bonfires, sledding, snowshoeing, music, hayrides, and cocoa & smores. (1/26/19)
TBA: WinterFest | Lake Elmo Park Reserve | 9am-3pm | Family highlights: Great for families with older kids! XC ski lessons w/ equipment provided, biking demos and food trucks. FREE admission with vehicle permit ($7), ski pass required for lessons ages 16+ ($6/day). (1/26/19)
TBA: Scandia Vinterfest | 10am-7pm | Family highlights: Gammelgarden Museum hosts kid-friendly crafts in the community center, fireworks at 7pm. (1/26/19)
TBA: 19th Annual Snow Day | Wargo Nature Center, Lino Lakes | 1-4pm | Try out a variety of winter outdoor activities.(1/26/19)
TBA: Pond Dakota Winter History Festival | Pond Dakota Mission Park, Bloomington | 12-4pm | Lacrosse stick-making demo, traditional Dakota stories in a tipi, magic show; sledding (bring your own), play outdoor frontier games and warm up with cookies and cocoa by the bonfire or the fireplace indoors. Free parking and admission (donations welcome). (1/27/19)
1/30/20-2/2/20: City of Lakes Loppet Ski Festival | Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis | Family highlights: Be a spectator (for free) at the races. Kids up to 12 can participate in the free MN Youth Ski League Super Carnival on 2/2/18 – loaner ski equipment provided, but limited.
Unplugged Explorers 6 pc. Ultimate Snow Toys kit, Winter Sports- 1 Red Sled, Snow Brick Maker, Snow Digger & Snow Mold, 2 Snowball Makers (1 Free) 1 Oversized Winter Toys Storage – Amazon Link
FEBRUARY FAMILY WINTER FESTIVALS & FUN DAYS
TBA: Frosty Fun Festival | Dodge Nature Center, West St Paul | 10am-2pm | $4/pp or $16/family | Family highlights: Classic winter activities, boot hockey, ice mini golf, winter art activities and nature discovery stations. (2/2/19)
TBA: Mid-Winter Fest | Apple Valley Community Center | 9 am-9pm | Family highlights: Wagon rides, The Teddy Bear Band and other entertainment, face-painting, jump house. FREE. (2/2/19)
TBA: Fire & Ice Festival | Plymouth | 2-7pm | Family highlights: A petting zoo, pony and sled-dog rides, mini golf on the ice, snow bowling, a bonfire with s’mores, live music and fireworks. FREE. (2/2/19)
TBA: Febuary Fest (Feb Fest) | Lake Ann Park, Chanhassen | 12-3pm | Family highlights: Ice skating, a smores roast, sleighrides and a medallion hunt. FREE. (2/9/19)
TBA: Wonders of Winter | Central Park, Maple Grove | 11am-3pm | Family highlights: Skating on the Central Park Ice Loop, fireside storytelling and smores, wagon rides, snowshoeing and lots more. (2/9/19)
TBA: Ham Lake Snow Bowl | Ham Lake Park | 10am-3pm | $3/pp | Family highlights: Snow sculptures, ice fishing, a snow hill and games for kids. (2/9/19)
TBA: Kites on Ice | Downtown Buffalo | 11am-3pm | Family highlights: Kites fill the sky above Buffalo Lake, kite building workshop for kids, cornhole and broomball tournaments, food trucks, hot chocolate and treat vendors. (2/9/19)
TBA: Minnetonka Kids Fest | Minnetonka Community Center | 12-3:30pm | Family highlights: Crazy amount of fun stuff – dogsled rides, crafts, a bonfire with smores, horse-drawn trolley rides, magic shows and much more. All FREE.(2/10/19)
TBA Embrace the North Festival | Coon Rapids Dam Regional Park, Brooklyn Park | 12-4pm | Try out activities like snowshoeing and dog sledding, and play winter games. Warm up around the campfire. FREE. (2/16/19)
TBA: Wildlife Science Center Winter Festival | Stacy | 11am-4pm | $8-$10/pp | Meet mushers and learn about this winter sport; dogsled rides are available for an additional fee. (2/16/19)
TBA: Phalen Freeze Fest | St Paul | 2-6pm | Family highlights: Try your hand at ice fishing, then warm up and cook over an open fire, play boot hockey and snowshoe. FREE. (2/23/19)
HQ Kites and Designs 10671650 Parafoil Easy Penguin Kite – Amazon Link
Seeking Funding: Art Shanty Projects | Lake Harriet, Minneapolis | Sat-Sun, 10am-4pm | Family highlights: Not only are these 19 unique ice houses designed by local artists, they are strongly encouraged to be interactive. The Art Shanty project was unable to obtain funding in 2019. Watch for 2020.
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[…] Patriots and the Philadelphia Eagles. I couldn’t help myself and had to see what kind of family fun there is in Minneapolis while I’m at it. Now that’s a city that knows how to embrace winter! We’re not […]
Funny, whenever I think of Boston, I think of the lyrics to Dismemberment Plan’s The Ice of Boston.
I think you do your share of embracing winter. Good Luck in the Super Bowl.