December 21st is the longest night of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. In 2025, the sun will set at 4:34pm on December 21st and sunrise occurs at 7:48am on the 22nd. On the bright side, it is not even Christmas yet and we can consider this the turning point. We’re officially heading back toward spring after this! While we tend to celebrate rebirth in the spring, it really begins at this time of year. In the Twin Cities we love to celebrate with night hikes, Tomte and stargazing. Sign your family up for one of these fun events:
2025 Solstice Events for Families and Kids
I’ve learned that if I can get the family out on the darkest day and again on the coldest day (but for a very short time if it is dangerously cold), my winter will be better.
Tomte Solstice Magic
Gale Woods Farm, 7210 County Road 110 West, Minnetrista, MN, 55364Date: 12/13/2025 4:30 pm - 7:30 pm
Learn about the Scandinavian Tomte tradition, visit the farm animals, and take a short luminary walk or snowshoe. Then, create an ornament, listen to a nyckelharpa, and enjoy s’mores around a warm fire. Register for 4:30pm, 5:00pm, 5:30pm or 6:00pm. • All Ages • $10/pp. Register online or by phone. Register early. This one sold out last year.
Circus Juventas Holiday Show: Solstice
Circus Juventas, 1270 Montreal Avenue, Saint Paul, MN, 55116Date: 12/14/2025 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Circus Juventas, the performing arts circus school, will host 10 performances of its 2025 Holiday Production, “Solstice,” December 5 – 14 at the Circus Juventas Big Top in Saint Paul. Tickets on sale November 11, 2025. $35/adults; $25 ages 12 and under.
Heart & Solstice
Bell Museum of Natural History, 2088 Larpenteur Ave W, Saint Paul, MN , 55113Date: 12/17/2025 - 01/04/2026 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Go on a Winter Walk scavenger hunt through the galleries, explore winter solstice at the gallery cart in the Minnesota Journeys exhibit and learn about witner constellations in the planetarium. • All Ages • Included with regular admission.
ASI Winter Solstice Celebration
American Swedish Institute, 2600 Park Avenue, Minneapolis, MN, 55407Date: 12/19/2025 5:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Celebrate the longest night of the year like Scandinavians at ASI’s popular Winter Solstice Celebration. Participate in crafts, enjoy music and see reindeer. FIKA Café serves a special festival menu, including small plates and warm drinks. Shop for last minute gifts at the ASI Museum Store and Jul Shop. Tickets: $25/pp – traditionally sells out quickly.
Solstice Under the Stars
Lake Elmo Park Reserve, 1515 Keats Ave North, Lake Elmo, MN, 55042Date: 12/19/2025 6:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Lake Elmo will celebrate the return of the sun with a short, family-friendly hike, a bonfire, nature crafts, and more. Program is free, a $7 permit is required to enter the park.
Star Watch Astronomy: The Winter Solstice
Eden Prairie Outdoor Center, 13765 Staring Lake Parkway, Eden Prairie, MN, 55347Date: 12/19/2025 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Learn about the astronomical solstice from an astromer during this Star Watch Astronomy event. • Ages 8+ • $10/pp. Pre-Registration required through Eden Prairie Parks.
Dodge Winter Solstice Bonfire
Dodge Nature Center - Farm Entrance, 1701 Charlton Street, West St Paul, MN, 55118Date: 12/20/2025 5:00 pm - 7:00 pm
Celebrate the shortest day of the year with a guided naturalist hike and stories and treats around a bonfire. This is an all-ages family event. Admission $10/pp.
Winter Solstice Celebration (FREE)
North Mississippi Regional Park, 4900 North Mississippi Drive, Minneapolis, MN, 55430Date: 12/20/2025 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Make your way along a glowing trail plus take-home luminary crafts, winter-themed games, and a bonfire. Event is free and open to all ages.
Winter Solstice with Heart of the Beast Theatre (FREE)
Powderhorn Park, 3400 15th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN, 55407Date: 12/20/2025 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm
The community is invited to bring a lantern/luminary to Powderhorn Park on the eve of Winter Solstice to bring extra light to the shortest day of the year. Feel free to join the lantern parade or just spectate and enjoy soup in the recreation center. Presented by Heart of the Beast Puppet and Mask Theatre, who will have puppets in the parade. Event is are free, open to the public, and for all ages.
More information
- Event link: Winter Solstice event via HOTB event calendar
Winter Solstice Snowshoe
Minnesota River Bottoms Trails, 11115 Lyndale Ave S, Bloomington, MN, 55420Date: 12/21/2025 1:00 pm - 2:30 pm
Enjoy a naturalist guided snowshoe hike along the Minnesota River Bottoms trails during our short daylight hours. This outdoor event is approximately 1½ miles and requires a moderate activity level. Best for older kids and teens. Registration is required. $7.50 per person.
Celebrate Winter Solstice
The Landing - Minnesota River Heritage Park, 2187 Highway 101 East, Shakopee, MN, 55379Date: 12/21/2025 3:00 pm - 4:30 pm
The Landing is a preserved living history site along the Minnesota River in Shakopee. Three Rivers Parks District occasionally runs free and low-cost programming at The Landing for families or anyone interested in getting hands-on with area history. The space is also open for free, self-guided exploration via a public trail through the buildings and grounds of this heritage site.
Nature at Night: Winter Solstice Hike
Richardson Nature Center, 8737 E Bush Lake Rd, Bloomington, MN, 55438Date: 12/21/2025 4:00 pm - 5:00 pm
Participate in a hike with a naturalist, exploring the park after dark while learning about solstice around the world. Then warm up around a campfire with s’mores. $6/pp. Reservations required by two days prior.
Winter Solstice Luminary Walk (FREE)
Eastman Nature Center, 13351 Elm Creek Rd, Maple Grove, MN, 55369Date: 12/21/2025 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Experience the nighttime beauty of the winter solstice along a luminary lit trail. Then warm up by the fire after your walk. Bring a personal care item to donate to the CROSS Food Shelf if possible. Event is free and open to all ages.
If you would like to help make the luminaries, drop in Sunday, December 14th for the Free Funday Sunday: Little Luminaries.
Winter Solstice Snowshoe
Cleary Lake Regional Park, 18106 Texas Avenue, Prior Lake, MN, 55372Date: 12/21/2025 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Snowshoe after dark on the snowy trails of Cleary Lake Regional Park. Then enjoys s’mores and a self-guided stroll through a luminary labyrinth. Ages 8+. $12/pp. Reservations required.
Wood Lake Solstice Luminary Walk
Wood Lake Nature Center, 6710 Lake Shore Drive, Richfield, MN, 55423Date: 12/21/2025 5:00 pm - 8:00 pm
Wood Lake Nature Center in Richfield offers year-round family nature programming. Here’s what’s coming up:
December 20: Solstice Luminary Walk
A quiet, family-friendly walk through the forest around Wood Lake Nature Center, then warm up at the bonfire with cocoa and a marshmallow roast. 5-8pm, $8 per person, tickets available online at the link.
Be The Light Winter Solstice Walk (FREE)
Westwood Hills Nature Center, 8300 W. Franklin Ave, St Louis Park, MN , 55416Date: 12/21/2025 6:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Walk the self-guided luminary trail and make your own luminary. These event was created to remember those suffering from depression, mental illness or difficult situations. Event is free and open to all ages; registration is required.
Winter Solstice Campfire & Luminary Labyrinth (FREE)
Cleary Lake Regional Park, 18106 Texas Avenue, Prior Lake, MN, 55372Date: 12/21/2025 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
During this family-friendly event, gather around a Solstice campfire with tea, hot cocoa and roasted marshmallows and walk a candle-lit luminary labyrinth. Event is free, registration is requested.
Make Your Own Winter Solstice Tradition:
On this shortest day of the year, enjoy the long evening with your own family ritual.
- This would be a great night to check out nearby Holiday Light Displays.
- Break out the flashlights, hot cocoa and s’mores and play these outdoor games in the backyard. Why wait until summer?
- A Winter Solstice Walk. Try snowshoeing along snow-covered or unpaved trails or Tinkergarten has ideas for making a winter solstice walk fun for your littlest kids by gathering things to decorate for the holiday. Note: The only holly native to Minnesota is Winterberry, but pinecones and twigs are plentiful
- Read Christmas Stories or Winter Solstice Books by candlelight or toss a yule log on the fireplace and curl up with a good book (if you are lucky enough to have a fire place).
Need more ideas? Here are some ideas from Wild Rumpus Book Store. - Wait to Put Up Your Tree Until the Solstice. If the season tends to overwhelm you, don’t feel guilty, make it a tradition. If the tree goes up on the Solstice and down on Epiphany, you can enjoy it for 15 beautiful days. Here are some of the Best Places to Buy Real Christmas Trees in the Twin Cities. Need decorations? Check out these 90 Ornaments Kids Can Make from our friends at Non-Toy Gifts.
- Decorate your own yard with luminaries and winter solstice lanterns. I really want to try these colorful Ice Bowls (also by Non-Toy Gifts), which could be used as ice lanterns if you add a candle or tealight.
- Roast marshmallows in a backyard firepit. We particularly love locally-made North Mallow marshmallows.
- Plan a Winter Solstice Feast of all your favorite cold-weather comfort foods. Light candles to chase the dark away and bless the meal with a prayer of thanksgiving or a winter poem.
- View Night Trains at the Model Railroad Museum.
- Visit Como Zoo to wish the reindeer well on their upcoming night-flight! Como is open from 10am-4pm. Admission is still Free, but reservations are required.
- Go for a Hike Under the Lights at 4 Three Rivers Parks:
- Cleary Lake Regional Park, Prior Lake
- Elm Creek Park Reserve, Maple Grove
- French Regional Park, Plymouth
- Hyland Lake Park Reserve, Bloomington
How Winter Solstice is Celebrated Around the World
Stonehenge
Visitors to Stonehenge in England can watch the sun set in the center of the three great stones of the Trilithon. Learn more at EarthSky.org.
At Home Family Fun Idea: Build your own Stonehenge replica. Can you get a flashlight “sun” to set in the center?
The North Pole
While we get six measly hours of daylight on December 21st, Santa doesn’t get any sun. I guess he and his elves will have to use big floodlights to get the job done in the next couple days.
The South Pole
On the flip side Antarctica will experience its longest day of the year and get 24 hours of daylight.
Australia
As we are reaching our darkest coldest time, the southern hemisphere is reaching its summer solstice and will celebrate the winter solstice in June. I learned, when researching this article, that Australia has its own Standing Stones where Celtic decedents celebrate the solstice. Learn more here.
