3 fun outdoor winter events in the Twin Cities and Stillwater

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! No, really.

As Minnesotans settle into winter, three winter arts and culture organizations want people outside. The cozy yet cold outdoor events offer the chance to connect with others during a season known for isolation and homebound activities.

“The temperatures keep dropping, which is good for us,” Art Shanty Projects Executive Director Erin Lavelle said in mid-December.

As long as Lake Harriet (Bdé Umáŋ) has at least 10 inches of ice, Art Shanty Projects will return. Now in its 22nd season, the four-week celebration of winter features 20 art shanties, temporary, interactive art installations built to withstand the frozen lake — and inspired by ice fishing houses — and 20 performances and pop-up art actions.

Thinning ice delayed the event’s start date in 2024, but January’s ice was just right ― and Lavelle thinks this year will be even better. “It’s a La Niña winter,” she said. And that means cooler and wetter conditions.

About 30,000 visitors attend Art Shanty Projects each year.

“We provide a space to be yourself and to play, and I think there are a lot of people who depend on us to get them outside in winter,” Lavelle said. “Winter can both be isolating and cozy — like part of that isolation is sometimes welcome for people [and] they like the feeling of coziness — but I think that human connection is really important to people, and we provide a buffet of options to do that.”

At the shanty “Temporarily Not Soil,” people can explore the magical network of roots and invertebrates in soil. In the multisensory submarine shanty “Sub Bdé Umáŋ,” you’ll feel like you’re underwater.

There also are plenty of returnees, like the gingerbread house with witches, the lip-synching shanty, “Cat World” and “The Sync Hole,” a giant disco ball on its side. All of these will have new elements, too.

Even if none of the art shanties excite you, there’s nothing quite like standing on the middle of a frozen lake, with other people, in the dead of winter.

Jan. 17- Feb. 8, artshantyprojects.org

Snow is king. Long live snow.

Only one will take home the World Snow Sculpting Championship title. Last year, Mongolia’s Team Falcon won.

This year’s snow artists hail from Canada, Denmark, Ecuador, Great Britain, Turkey, New Zealand, Mongolia, Malta, India, Lithuania, Mexico, Peru, Switzerland, Taiwan and the United States.

The international event in Stillwater also hosts a bike rally, broomball tournament, candlelight winter walk, snow slide, bingo, live music, an indoor market and more. Select restaurants around Stillwater also will serve dishes from the 16 countries.

On Jan. 11, the Minneapolis Institute of Art hosts a panel with snow sculptors from teams from Denmark, Mexico and Turkey.

“It’s all about the art, but it’s also about getting outside, health and wellness, both physical and mental health ― and boy do we need a bit of that,” said Robin Anthony, president of the Greater Stillwater Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

“That’s kind of crazy when you think about how much snow that actually is,” Anthony said.

Jan. 13-25, worldsnowcelebration.com

The Great Northern festival shrinks from 10 days to a packed five-day-long weekend experience featuring parties, saunas, culinary classes, live music, climate solutions-oriented programming and a family day.

“The festival is an invitation ― to connect, to engage and to experience winter together,” Great Northern Executive Director Jovan C. Speller Rebollar said. “We’ve reimagined the festival to be easier to navigate and more welcoming for everyone.”

The popular annual winter celebration is centered at St. Anthony Main, with festival grounds stretching from the Riverplace Building to Father Hennepin Bluff Park. There will be satellite events across downtown St. Paul, Nicollet Mall and East Lake Street.

Indigenous artist Cannupa Hanska Luger presents “Midéegaadi,” a multichannel video series that visualizes the return of North American bison to the Great Plains. He’ll project it on facades, bridges and areas surrounding St. Anthony Main.

Multiracial writers, activists and sisters adrienne maree brown and Autumn Brown, known for their podcast “How to Survive the End of the World,” speak about exactly that. And they’ll be inside the Main Cinema, so you won’t freeze.

Feb. 1 is free family day.

“Whether you love winter or are learning to embrace it, this event offers a space to gather in joy, celebrate what makes this region so special, and reflect on how we can care for it in a changing climate,” Rebollar said.